Narutoverse no Jutsu
by Hikari Midori-chan
Summary: Ch. 49 up! The Epilogue. R&R please!
1. What Happened!

This story is basically a few of my friends and I in the Narutoverse. I've read a lot of stories with the same theme, and some of them aren't rather appealing so I hope mine is. And since my friends are in this, I think its necessary to give THEM a little recognition. I didn't think up everything here on my own, my friends helped me out. Not only that, but one of them will be writing parts of the chapters to come, so heads up!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

_Poke. Poke. Poke. _

"Stop it…" A girl with short black hair tied in a small ponytail swatted away the stick that was poking her shoulder. She tiredly sat up and rubbed her greenish gray eyes. Blinking sleepily, her vision was met by a curious-looking blond boy with goggles and whiskers.

"Hi. What were you doing asleep here?" the boy asked.

The girl stared at him and blinked. Then rubbed her eyes again.

"Can you talk?" the boy asked.

Blink.

"Hello?"

Blink.

"You can't talk, can you?"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The girl jumped up and looked around, waving her hands in the air crazily. "Where am I? Where am I? Why are you here? What happened? AAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"So you can talk…" the boy said, rubbing his ear. "What's your name?"

"My…name…" the girl said slowly, looking herself over and trying to remember how she got here. She was wearing a dark grayish, sleeveless jacket with drawstrings and a hood. Her exposed stomach was covered by a net shirt. The net shirt was long-sleeved and reached to about an inch below her elbows. Her pants were a faded red color and were stitched up at the sides; each stitch was crossing over another. Underneath her pants she wore black shorts.

"Is…" the girl's horrified frown slowly twisted into a satisfactory grin. "Shimizu Kyoko."

"Okay…" the blond boy said, scratching his head. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto."

"There you are!"

"Huh?" Kyoko turned around to see a girl with black hair and brown eyes. She looked sort of familiar…

"I can't believe this," the girl said speedily. "I mean, one minute we were in your house and the next we were out here it's so weird and I have no idea what happened and—" She suddenly stopped, noticing Naruto standing next to her friend. Her mouth dropped open slightly, but she closed it with a snap. "…Hello."

"Hi…"

"Hey, _Midori_," Kyoko said, patting her friend on the back. "Meet Naruto!"

Midori stared at Kyoko strangely for a second and then looked at Naruto, waving timidly.

"Naruto, this is Hikari Midori!" Kyoko continued. "Hey, have you seen Nami anywhere?"

Midori shook her head.

"Huh…" Kyoko said thoughtfully.

"Come on, we have to go," Midori said, taking Kyoko's arm and pulling her along. Waving behind her, she said, "Nice meeting you Naruto. See you around!"

"Yeah…sure…" Naruto said, still a bit bewildered. He sighed. It was nice to talk to _someone _who didn't discriminate him for any reason for a while…

"Hey, I was talking to Naruto! I thought you would be excited!" Kyoko exclaimed.

"Sorry, I guess my excitement was overcome by my terror of being here!" Midori said, annoyed. "Do you have any idea how we got here at all or how to get back to our world?"

"No…but I don't really _want _to go back," Kyoko admitted.

"What?" Midori said in disbelief. "Why?"

"Well…back in our world, _you _have a nice life, but mine's too complicated!" Kyoko explained. "And I'm so unlucky! At least here I'll be able to start a new life! And who knows, it might be great…"

"Well, we can't just _stay _here!"

"Why not?"

"This is delicious!"

The two heard a familiar voice. After a quick exchange of glances, they realized that they had wandered subconsciously in front of the Ichiraku Ramen Shop. There, they saw the back of their missing friend.

"Nami!" the two exclaimed, dashing into the ramen shop.

"Hey, guys!" Nami said, wiping her mouth. "Isn't this cool? One minute we were at Kyoko's house and the next minute we're here!" She slurped down the rest of her soup.

"That's right…we were at Kyoko's house…but what were we doing?" Midori said thoughtfully. Then she stopped. "HEY! What do you think you're doing, Nami?!"

"Eatin' ramen…" Nami said. "I was hungry…" she rubbed her stomach.

"And how are you expecting to _pay _for this?" Midori said. "I thought that you would be able to think these things through before actually doing something!"

"Psh, yeah right," Kyoko said.

"Hey! When you're hungry, all you can think about is what you're gonna eat, okay?" Nami said angrily. "And besides, Ichiraku Ramen doesn't cost all that much!"

"Geez…" Midori groaned. "I remember putting some money in my pocket because we were going to the mall at Kyoko's house…but I doubt that it would do any good here…" She reached into her pocket and pulled out…

"What kind of money is that?" Kyoko said, confused.

The money that Midori was holding didn't look like any US money they've ever seen.

"Looks like you have just enough to pay for your friend's meal!" Old Man Teuchi remarked.

Midori handed him the right amount and stuck the rest of the money in her pocket. "Hey…what's this?" She held what looked like a card. It wasn't just any old card though…it looked like one of Kabuto's ninja info cards.

"Let me see!" Kyoko said, taking the card and examining it. "Hey…now I remember! We were making ninja info cards for ourselves! This ones all about Midori like her abilities and history and stuff!"

"Hm…" Midori said, putting her hand to her chin in a thinking position. "Yeah…and then…we made up a jutsu, didn't we?"

Nami nodded. "Yeah…and it was called the 'Narutoverse no Jutsu'. We made some hand signs and then we touched our cards and…"

"Ended up here!" Kyoko finished, digging into her pockets.

"And it looks like we've changed a lot…" Midori said, looking at the countless signs in the Konoha market. "Because we can read Japanese and speak it now."

"Huh…I didn't notice…" Nami said. "It all seemed so natural."

"But we need a way to get back…" Midori said.

"NO WAY!" Nami and Kyoko shouted.

"Don't be a kill joy, Midori!" Kyoko exclaimed. "At least let us stay for a LITTLE while!"

"Yeah, live a little!" Nami said, crossing her arms. "Don't tell me you don't want to see Neji!"

Midori turned red. "He has nothing to do with anything! What about our parents? They're seriously going to call the cops if we don't show up soon!"

"Come on, we'll worry about that later," Nami said.

"But—"

"Nope! Majority rules, Midori!" Kyoko said. "You can try to go home if you want, but Nami and I are staying!"

Midori scowled. "Fine. I'll stay." As long as these two were staying, _she _couldn't let them mess around with anything.

"YES!" Kyoko and Nami high-fived.

"BUT we need to find some place to live first. We're _not _going to live on the streets and we definitely don't have enough money for a hotel," Midori said.

"Yeah…" Kyoko said seriously. "Oh hey! I know the _perfect _man to talk about a place to live in! I bet we can trust him too!"

"That's a first," Nami said doubtfully. "He won't get us into trouble or turn us in, will he?"

"I don't think so!"

"Fine," Midori said. "Lead the way, Kyoko."

A few minutes later, the girls found themselves standing in front of the academy.

"Don't tell me…Iruka?" Nami guessed.

"That's Iruka-_sensei_," Kyoko corrected.

Nami rolled her eyes.

"You know…you may be right," Midori said to Kyoko. "Iruka-sensei's a pretty understanding guy. He'll see our situation and help us out for sure."

"But won't he tell the Hokage?" Nami asked.

"Nah. If we tell him _exactly_ what happened to us in the past," Midori said, smiling slyly and flipping her info card in her hand. "We'll be just fine."

"I see where you're going," Nami grinned.

The girls found the right classroom after several random guessing.

Midori knocked on the door. "Remember, don't say more than you have to."

The girls nodded.

"Come in!"

"Iruka-sensei?" Midori said timidly as she and the others walked into the room.

"Yes? What is it?" Iruka seemed to be grading papers at the moment. He looked up and looked at them with a questioningly glance. "I'm sorry, but I don't recall seeing your faces here before…"

"We've traveled from different places to get here," Midori explained. "Our pasts have been rough, but we came to Konoha to start anew, starting with the graduation exams for the academy."

"Whoa, whoa," Iruka said quickly. "First you have to go through the academy!"

"No we don't," Nami said. "We have skills beyond that level already!"

"Please let us take the exam early, Iruka-sensei!" Kyoko pleaded.

"Well…I suppose," Iruka said. "I won't ask anything of your pasts, but I'd like to know your names."

"Hikari Midori."

"Shimizu Kyoko."

"Kawa Nami."

"Nice to meet you girls," Iruka smiled. "So you just came here?"

"You could say that," Nami said.

"Well, I suppose I'll have to let you take the exams then."

The first few tests consisted of a short written test for basic knowledge, the substitution jutsu, stealth skills then finally, the bunshin. The girls were surprised to find that these skills were pretty easy to pass and they obtained their hitai-ates in a matter of hours.

"You girls are pretty good, obviously fit enough to be genin," Iruka said. "Would you mind coming here the day after tomorrow around eleven for the orientation? The other genin will be there too."

"Sure," Midori said. "Thanks."

"You'll all be put into different teams," Iruka said. "With the other students."

The girls froze. They had forgotten about that.

"Um…Iruka-sensei," Midori said carefully. "Do you think…we could be on the same team?"

"Huh?"

"We need to be on the same team!" Kyoko said urgently.

"Why is that?"

"If we tell you, do you promise not to tell a soul?" Nami demanded.

"All right…" Iruka said, wondering why the girls would be so serious all of a sudden. _This is strange…_

The girls related their story with Iruka about how they got here and where they came from. Iruka asked a lot of questions, but even though they got through it, he was still a bit baffled.

"Wait…so you're telling me…that you're not from this 'universe'?" Iruka said.

"That's basically it," Kyoko said.

"And you expect me, a chuunin, to believe that?" Iruka said a bit amused.

"You don't believe us?" Midori said, crestfallen.

"It's a pretty unbelievable story," Iruka admitted.

"Well then, look at _this_," Nami said, taking out her ninja info card and sticking it in Iruka's face.

Iruka took the card. "This…looks like it was hand-drawn and hand written…" Iruka remarked. "Where did you get this?"

"_We _made it," Nami said. "Along with the cards that go with Kyoko and Midori. That's our whole history and it seems that it's come true. Don't you believe us now?"

"It still doesn't prove anything," Iruka said stubbornly.

"Iruka-sensei, did the students take their academy tests this morning?" Midori asked.

"Yes…"

"If we, three girls from different countries who have just come to Konoha tell you who got the best and worst scores, will you believe us?" Midori asked.

"That would make sense."

"Uchiha Sasuke got the highest scores in the class," Midori recited. "He's the top male in the class. Yamanaka Ino was the top female."

"Aburame Shino got the second highest scores," Kyoko added.

"And Uzumaki Naruto got the worst," Nami said. "With Nara Shikamaru following closely behind."

Iruka was mystified. His eyes widened. "You…you _are _from a different universe…that or you're all psychics."

The girls exchanged odd glances.

"It's…the universe thing," Nami said.

"All right, I'll believe you," Iruka said.

"And you _won't _tell anyone. Not even the Hokage, right?" Nami said.

"I never lie," Iruka said. "I won't tell anyone unless it's completely necessary."

"And define 'completely necessary' for us, will you?" Midori said.

"Unless you girls are in danger," Iruka said. "And we need to find a way to get you home."

"We'll do that LATER," Kyoko said exasperatedly. "Right now we don't have any leads, but if we learn some jutsus or something we'll probably get an idea!"

"I'll trust you girls to do that," Iruka said. "So now I think you should be getting home to sleep. It's getting dark outside."

"Um…Iruka-sensei…there's one other tiny detail…" Midori said nervously. "We uh…don't really have a place to stay…"

Iruka slapped his forehead. "You girls…have everything planned, don't you?"

The girls smiled sweetly.

* * *

How'd I do? Please tell me in your review! More info on the character next time! I think... R&R please!

-HM

-6/1/07 I got a review from a person who knew that my calculations on the money after paying for ramen was different, so I changed it a little bit. Heh...I'm only human. Thank you for the heads up!


	2. Second Day in Konoha

Yay, a new chapter! Just a few reviews are enough to motivate me! I'm just happy I got SOME. Things are pretty low on the action meter at the moment, but I assure you, there will be more action in later chapters! Thanks for the reviews and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

It was a cold, dark, starry night in the village of Konoha. Iruka had managed to find the girls a decent place with SEPARATE rooms. It was small with five rooms total, one for each girl, one living room/kitchen, and one bathroom. The bathroom was the size of a closet and the bedrooms were about one size bigger, but it was cozy and decent. The girls were just glad they were able to score a home at such short notice.

Nami lay in her bed, unable to sleep. Usually she would've slept like a log but tonight…it was different. She knew her ninja info card was pretty impressive, the stats being pretty high, but could they really be right on the dot? Could she really be as powerful as her card said she was?

The next morning was bright and warm, the perfect day for sight-seeing in Konoha village. First off, they stopped by Ichiraku Ramen for breakfast.

"We can't keep eating this stuff…" Midori said, stirring her ramen around as if she wanted to eat it but knew that it would be terrible to eat if she ever wanted to be a decent ninja. Then again, _Naruto _ate three square meals of ramen or more each day and he wasn't too bad…

"Oh, come on! You've _never _eaten Ichiraku ramen before! How would you know?" Kyoko said.

"Yeah, Midori! It's good!" Nami added. "Why are you so down anyway? We always talked about what we would do if we went into this world and you always knew what you wanted! And now that we finally get a chance, you're totally bumming us down!"

"I know what she needs," Kyoko said, grinning reticently. She leaned over to Nami and whispered something into her ear.

A foxy grin crossed Nami's face. She and Kyoko turned towards Midori with identical looks.

"Um…" Midori said tentatively. She slowly stood up and attempted to back away. "I'll just…be going now…"  
In two seconds flat, Kyoko and Nami were at Midori's side, hooking their arms with Midori's.

"Guys! Let me go!" Midori pleaded, afraid of what type of torture they titled 'what she needed'.

Her friends didn't answer and swept her away, leaving only a cloud of dust in front of Ichiraku Ramen.

A few minutes later, the three girls were standing in front of a grand complex known as the Hyuuga Mansion.

"No," Midori said flatly.

"Come on, you know you wanna," Kyoko said, poking Midori playfully.

Midori stared at her so solemnly, Kyoko was a bit afraid. "I am _not _doing it. That's stupid."

"It is not," Nami said. "Just say hi!"

"You two _are _aware that there are numerous people in the Hyuuga Clan and that he's probably not even home anyway, right?"

"Erm…" Nami and Kyoko exchanged uncertain glances.

Midori stared at the two. "You two are unbelievable."

"Of course we knew!" Nami exclaimed disdainfully. "We only wanted you to go in and _ask _where he trains so we can find him easier! Sheesh, we aren't idiots!"

"I said you're unbelievable, not idiotic."

"Well fine then!" Kyoko said. "I guess we'll just have to leave and—"

Without any notice, Kyoko and Nami shoved Midori into the door of the Hyuuga complex.

WHAM!

"Argh!" Midori fell backwards and the door opened, revealing none other than Hyuuga Hiashi.

"May I help you, young lady," Hiashi said, raising an eyebrow. "And I find it more efficient to knock on the door with your fist, not your body."

Midori turned red with embarrassment. "G-Gomenasai…" She stood up and brushed herself off.

"Well? What is your business here? Speak up, girl," Hiashi said pushily.

"W-Well…I…um…" Midori spoke in such a way that resembled Hinata. "I was wondering…where Neji…trained…"

Hiashi stared at her for a second. "Neji?"

Midori stared at her feet and nodded; her cheeks beet red.

"He trains in a forest area with his team," Hiashi said, but his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "And why do you require such information?"

"No reason," Midori said, a little too quickly.

Even though Hiashi suspected something fishy, he didn't think it was important. This girl didn't seem like the type to harm anything or anyone, and if she _did _want to fight Neji, she would surely lose. As much as he hated to admit it, Neji was one of the strongest in the Hyuuga Clan.

"Very well, then," Hiashi said. "Now leave my doorstep."

Midori obeyed and quickly got the heck out of there.

Meanwhile, Kyoko and Nami were concealing themselves some feet away in a nearby store. Although it looked as if they were browsing, they had been keeping a close eye on their more serious friend.

Midori stomped over to the two, anger in her eyes. "You guys…are the worst…"

Nami and Kyoko smiled.

"How'd it go?" Nami said pleasantly.

"You know very well how it went!" Midori raged. "Hyuuga Hiashi is the scariest man I've ever talked to!"

"It looks like it," Kyoko chuckled. "I'm glad _I _don't have to talk to him. He's creepy and mean."

"Oh really?" Midori said, crossing her arms. "And it was completely pointless too. You two just wasted five minutes of my life. Thanks a lot."

"_We wasted_ your life?" Nami said in false disbelief. "I'm surprised at you! I thought you _wanted _to know where Neji trains."

"He wasn't exactly specific, you know," Midori pouted. "Nothing good came out of this."

"Yes it did!" Kyoko urged. "You know that Neji trains in the forest!"

"I knew that already," Midori said.

"Yeah…well…"

"Never mind," Midori said, waving the conversation off. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. I'm going off on my own, so you guys have fun around here. And don't disturb the peace, please."

"Where are you going?" Nami asked.

"You guys are so smart, you should know," Midori said, and she walked off.

"She's totally off to see Neji," Kyoko smirked.

"Obviously."

"So what're _we _going to do then?" Kyoko asked.

"Why don't you ship yourself off to Suna to find _Gaara_?"

"Ha. Ha. You're so funny."

"I try."

At that moment, the girls noticed a familiar goggled ninja and a small child.

"Hey, look! It's Naruto and Konohamaru!" Nami remarked.

The two saw Konohamaru make a hand sign and transform into a…particularly chubby version of a girl a few feet away from them. Naruto had a look on his face that showed that he was not predominantly pleased. He made a comment and the girl appeared behind him, knocking him on the head.

"Hey, Naruto!" Nami waved cheerfully.

Naruto and Konohamaru turned. Naruto jumped when he saw the girls.

"Hey, let's go hang with Naruto!" Nami suggested.

"He looks kind of freaked out," Kyoko remarked.

"Nonsense!" Nami exclaimed, dragging Kyoko over. "Naruto, you remember us?"

"How could I forget?" Naruto said.

"Hey, leader, who're those two?" Konohamaru asked, tugging on Naruto's jacket.

"Just some girls I met yesterday," Naruto explained. "They're uh…Nyoko and Kami, right?"

"That's _Kyoko _and _Nami_," Nami clarified.

"Right!"

"I'm Konohamaru!" Konohamaru introduced. He shyly added, "You two are pretty."

"Aw! You're so sweet!" Kyoko squealed.

"So…what're you _doing_, Naruto?" Nami asked innocently.

"…Nothin'…" Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah…I'm not buying that," Nami said, immediately serious.

"Well it's none of your business what I'm doing anyway!" Naruto said a bit snappily.

"_Well_!" Nami said with over-exaggerated shock.

"Sorry," Naruto said. "I'm just teaching Konohamaru here how to do a real jutsu."

"What jutsu is that?"

"The Oiroke no Jutsu!" Konohamaru piped.

"Stupid! They're girls! Don't tell them that!" Naruto scolded, knocking Konohamaru on the head.

SLAP! SLAP!

"OWWWWWW!" Naruto wailed, rubbing his two new hand marks on his cheeks.

"You disgust me, Naruto!" Nami said.

"Why are you teaching Konohamaru such a bad jutsu?!" Kyoko demanded.

"He wanted to!" Naruto cried in his defense.

"And I still haven't mastered it yet! C'mon, leader! We won't have a lot of time!"

"Well, you'll have plenty of time to because Kyoko and I have some business to tend to! Besides, we don't wanna stick around for…this," Nami said.

Nami grabbed Kyoko's hand and pulled her off leaving a red-cheeked Naruto and a dumbfounded Konohamaru.

"What business?"

"Stupid, if we change just one thing that's supposed to happen while we're here, who _knows _what twisted thing will happen!"

"Like Konohamaru completing the Oiroke no Jutsu?" Kyoko said doubtfully.

"It could happen," Nami said mystically.

"Yeah…right…" Kyoko said, still unconvinced.

"Hmph. Well you can never be too careful, Midori always says."

"I guess." Suddenly, she gasped and grabbed Nami's arm forcefully.

"Hey! I punch guys out with this arm!"

"Sorry! But let's go in that store!" Kyoko exclaimed, pointing to a store and jumping up and down like a child.

"Huh?" Nami glanced at the store and sighed. "But I wanted to go spar at the gym…"

"After this!"

"Fine."

_As long as I'm in Konoha, I might as well make friends with my fellow genin,_ Midori thought. Team Gai came to mind, but she shook her head furiously. "No! I have to see people my own age first!"

When she saw a few people staring at her, she turned red and quickened her step, cheeks pink. _I've been hanging around Kyoko too much. _

_Where to go, where to go…_she thought idly. Suddenly, a gust of wind threw her forward onto her stomach. For the slightest tenth of a second, Midori had seen a green flash. What was that?!

As Midori starting to get up, the green flash appeared again, this time stopping at her side.

"My apologies, miss!" a teenage boy in a familiar green jumpsuit apologized, helping her onto her feet. "I'm in a hurry!"

_Lee! _"It's okay," Midori said, staring at Lee with an instinctive smile on her face. "What were you doing?"

"My sensei, Gai-sensei always has my team and I doing a few laps around Konoha as a training exercise on weekends!" Lee explained, jogging in place. "I wanted to finish early so I could squeeze in some extra training! My teammates are not fart behind…I think! Now I must be off!"

"Wait!"

Lee stopped and turned around. "Yes?"

"Um…I just graduated and I don't have a sensei yet," Midori said, thinking quickly. "Would you mind if I…saw what your sensei is like? So I can be ready?"

Lee grinned widely. "But of course! Gai-sensei will be more than happy to aid another youthful student!"

Midori smiled.

"Come with me! I was on my last lap, so I will take you to our training spot!"

"Thank you," she said; happiness along with excitement in her eyes.

----------------

"Are you done yet?" Nami groaned. She was leaning against the wall of a store, boredom cursed her features.

"Oh…which one should I get, Nami?" Kyoko asked restlessly. "This katana or this mace?"

"Neither. They're _way _over our budget," Nami said impatiently. "Dude, we barely have enough to _eat _let alone buy _useless _things."

"Useless?!" Kyoko exclaimed angrily. "They aren't _useless_. And I have enough!"

"Well _I'm _not wasting my time here any longer," Nami said. "I've gotta go train."

"I'm not done!"

"You wouldn't be a challenge anyway!"

"How would you know? You've never fought yet!"

"Well my stats surpass yours!"

"They do not! You might have made yourself powerful, but you probably don't know how to control it!"

Nami stared at her with rage. "Oh yeah? Well I'll show you that you're _dead _wrong!" Nami stormed out of the store, slamming the door behind her.

Kyoko was silent, watching the back of her friend. She turned to the owner of the weapons shop and said, "Can you believe her? Who does she think she is?"

The man behind the counter just grinned a half-toothless grin and said, "Katana, or mace?"

"…"

----------------

"Gai-sensei! I have returned!" Lee called, running into his teams training spot. Midori appeared at a slow jog a few feet behind Lee.

POW!

"LEE! YOU IDIOT!"

"GAH!"

Midori ducked as Lee went flying over her head. _Oh…my…_

"Lee! I've kept track of your time and it seems that you've been slacking off!" Gai exclaimed, not noticing Midori in a hunched position. "You were FIFTEEN SECONDS SHORT!"

"Forgive me, sensei!" Lee begged, his cheek swelling up. "But on my run Iran into this girl and I had to apologize for knocking her down and—"

"Girl, you say?" Gai said, finally taking note of Midori's existence. He leaned down to meet her eyes.

Trying not to flinch from the sight of Gai's eyebrow-crowned stare, Midori stood straight.

Gai observed the girl, looking her up and down. "What's your name, little girl?"

"Hikari Midori, sir," Midori said quietly, a bit miffed that he had called her 'little'.

"I am Maito Gai!" Gai shouted, so loudly that Midori was blown back by the volume.

"…Pleasure to meet you, Gai-sensei," Midori said, sticking her finger in her ear.

"Oh! I forgot! My name is Rock Lee!" Lee introduced.

POW!

"ARGH!"

Lee flew past Midori once more. Okay, NOW she was scared.

"L-Lee…Are you okay?" Midori said with the tone that suggested that she wanted to help him up but thought that Gai would punch _her _as well for weakening the punishment or something.

"Lee, have you forgotten your manners?" Gai demanded, pointing a finger at his star student accusingly. "Did you forget to introduce yourself when you two met?"

"Forgive me, Gai-sensei! I am not worthy of your teachings!" Lee exclaimed sadly bowing his head.

"Oh Lee…you must have been so focused on continuing your training, it must have slipped your mind!" Gai said dramatically, tears running down his cheeks.

"Gai-sensei…you are too good to me…" Lee wailed.

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!" Lee threw himself into Gai's outstretched arms and an imaginary sunset appeared in the background. A wave crashed behind the two green-clad men.

And that was the first time Midori had seen a Lee/Gai Student/Teacher moment. Her eyebrow twitched, but she felt strangely warm inside. Ah…a teacher and his student…

She snapped out of her confused trance when she heard pounding footsteps coming from a not so far distance. There she saw the silhouette of Neji, then Tenten. The two were panting quietly when they got back to the site.

"Who are you?" Neji questioned suspiciously when he got within a few feet of Midori.

_It's Neji, _Midori thought. _I can't believe it. Hyuuga Neji. _Before Midori could answer, Gai released Lee and made a punch for Neji.

Neji dodged the blow as if he had done this many times before. "I thought I requested for you not to attempt to do that ever again," Neji said sharply to his sensei.

"I forgot," Gai said. "But you do deserve a punch! What an impolite way to greet a lady and you were also a few seconds short of your recent time!"

Neji just glared at his sensei. "So who is she, then?"

"I'll let _her _introduce herself!" Gai declared.

Midori had been spacing out slightly since she figured that listening to Gai. When she noticed everyone looking at her, she blinked and tried to backtrack. "Oh! Sorry. I'm Hikari Midori," Midori said, bowing her head, half for honor and half for embarrassment.

"Hikari Midori, huh?" Tenten smiled. She held her hand out. "My name's Tenten. Nice to meet you."

Midori smiled and took her hand.

"And my stiff white-eyed teammate is Hyuuga Neji," Tenten added, jabbing a thumb towards Neji who scoffed.

"I see," Midori said.

"So, there must be a reason why Lee decided to bring you here!" Gai chimed. "What's your business here?"

"I brought her to train with us!" Lee answered before Midori said a word. "She just became a genin it seems and she hasn't gotten a sensei yet and she wanted to start training, so I said that I would bring her to you!"

"Excellent idea, my student, and its true, I am pretty great," Gai said modestly (not).

"And just in time too! You may have missed the run, Midori, but we still have time to spar! So choose your opponent!" Gai said, gesturing towards his three first-rate students.

"Um…"

-------------------

Nami angrily pounded a punching bag. She had found the gym and had given anyone in her way a menacing glare. Punching the stuffing out of things was the only way she could control her anger at the moment. How DARE Kyoko question her power? PUNCH. And how DARE she act as though she knew her? PUNCH. And how DARE she make her wait for her to pick out her meaningless weaponry while she had better things to do like _train_? PUNCH.

The punching bag swung off its chain and flew across the room, hitting the wall with a loud THUMP.

Nami's fists, which were pulsing red, were now numb. _Okay. Maybe it wasn't my best idea to go out on a punching bag…_ Her knuckles started to ache so she sat down, breathing noticeably. Her chest heaved up and down as she slumped back against a wall. _Gotta get stronger…I'll show Kyoko! _

"That wasn't a smart idea."

Nami looked up quickly to see…the last person she wanted to see. Her eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"

Uchiha Sasuke looked down at Nami with the most uninterested look on his face. "You're not the only one who goes to the gym and you're not the only one who'd like to use that punching bag."

Nami frowned. "I guess you're too much of a pansy to sling it back up yourself then?"

"Who do you think you are?" Sasuke said, annoyed. What kind of girl insulted _him_? THE Uchiha Sasuke. _She must be an outsider, _he considered. _But she has a Konoha hitai-ate, though I don't remember ever seeing her in class…_ "Who are you?"

"The name's Kawa Nami, and don't forget it," Nami said, standing up. Then she remembered. _I'm not supposed to know this jerk yet. _"And you are?"

"Uchiha Sasuke," Sasuke said without concern. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be training."

"Good luck with that," Nami said, pushing past him.

Sasuke looked after the girl as she disappeared behind the doors of the gym. One word was on his mind: _Strange. _

Later that night…

Kyoko sat on the small couch in the apartment, inspecting her new weapons. She had decided to go with senbon since both the katana and mace would've left her a few yen from flat broke. Besides, senbon was lighter and would fit in her holster. Kyoko glanced around, looking for a target she could practice on. Then she noticed the door. It was so nice and wooden…it would make a wonderful sound when the needles pelted against it.

Without another thought, she threw the senbon skillfully at the door. Unfortunately, the door was opening at the time.

"Look out!" Kyoko shrieked.

"Argh!" Nami fell to the ground, the needles barely missing her. She stood up angrily. "Hey! What's the big idea?! Do you want to kill me _that _much?!"

"Sorry! Sorry!" Kyoko said, waving her arms around wildly. "But you see, I was trying to aim for the door and you opened it and—"

"Well that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"

"Stupid, is it? Well now I wish that they hit you!"

"You wanna say that again?!"

At that moment, Midori walked through the door, extremely tired with scratches and bandages all over her body. Her sleepy eyes saw her two roommates quarrelling…again. She sighed heavily and slouched in a free chair. "What is it now?"

"Kyoko nearly killed me with her needles!"

"Nami can't sense anything!"

The girls started shouting at each other incomprehensively.

Midori closed her eyes and took a loud breath, startling the girls.

"Hey, what happened to _you_?" Kyoko finally asked.

"Yeah. You look like you've just been in a battle," Nami remarked.

"I trained with Team Gai today," Midori explained. "I had to spar with one of them. And…I chose Tenten…"

"That explains all the bandages," Nami said.

Midori groaned and slid off the chair, exhausted. "I should've chosen Lee…_he _doesn't use sharp, pointy weapons."

* * *

Hm...what a boring, fillery chapter...at least, in my eyes it is. Ah well. I never liked the second episode anyway! Well, tell me what you think! R&R please! The next chappie is coming soon enough!

-HM


	3. Orientation and Meet the Sensei

Yay! More reviews! Reviews equal a very happy Midori and friends. Anyway, I thank everyone who reviewed, and so do Nami and Kyoko! Enjoy this chapter! And don't worry, there will be more villains (Hm...there aren't really ANY right now, huh?) in later chapters. But first, we must meet the sensei! Enjoy!

IMPORTANT...WELL, SORT OF: Just a heads up for the readers who don't like reading Japanese or English jutsu or both...I'm going to put Japanese for all the jutsu (is plural jutsu or jutsus?) I know like "Kage Bunshin" or "Kawarimi" and English for the jutsu (or jutsus, whatever it is) that I make up. Sadly, the only Japanese/English Dictionary I have is a really crappy one and I don't know Japanese. If there are any complaints, just say so in your review. Thank you!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

The next day was bright and sunny, the perfect day for an orientation. Midori, who had gotten up first out of the two, was already dressed and ready for the orientation. She put on the necklace she had made out of the Hikari Suishou (crystal) around her neck, strolled to the next door that was beside her room and knocked. Opening the door, her eyes widened. 

The room was slightly messy from open scrolls and such, and there were needles spread out in one corner. Asleep on her bed was Shimizu Kyoko. Her face was buried in her pillow and her blanket had half-fallen off the bed.

Midori sped to the room across from the two others and peeked in. Her eyes trailed upwards, following the pillow fort Nami seemed to construct last night. Nami, however, was no where to be found. Midori started to dig through the numerous pillows. "How did she get so many pillows?!" Midori said aloud.

Suddenly, a hand shot out of the clouds of pillows, scaring Midori half to death.

"AIE!" Midori shrieked, falling backwards.

Nami's head popped out of the pillows, her hair stuck to the side in an odd fashion. She yawned and smacked her lips loudly. "What time is it?" she yawned.

"Almost time for the orientation, that's what!" Midori exclaimed, jumping right back up. "Geez! You trying to kill me or something?"

Nami shrugged and looked around, blinking sleepily. "Hey…you messed up my pillow fort."

THUMP.

"Get dressed," Midori said, annoyed.

Nami took off the pillow that had been launched at her face and smiled lopsidedly. "Okay, okay."

Midori moved back into Kyoko's room, silently stepping over the slight mess. _Looks like someone's been doing their homework. How unlike her, _Midori though, amused. She poked her friend. "Hey, Kyoko. Wake up."

Kyoko shifted in her sleep, but showed no signs of waking up.

"Kyoko!" Midori pulled the blanket off of the sleeping girl.

Kyoko didn't budge.

"KYOKO!" Midori started to drag Kyoko off her bed. "WAKE UP!"

THUMP.

She fell backwards, completely pulling Kyoko off the bed. Breathing heavier, Midori put on an irritated face. "You…"

Nami appeared in the room, dressed, and clean. She had one of her pillows with her. She raised the pillow high and—

WHAP! WHAP! WHAP!

"WAKE UP, SLEEPING UGLY!"

WHAP! WHAP! WHAP!

"OW! OW! OW! I'M UP! I'M UP!" Kyoko cried, covering her head. "Stop it!"

Nami ceased. "Can't get up, Kyoko? Wasn't it you who said that stayed up all night?"

"Why you…" Kyoko grumbled bad-temperedly.

"Hey Kyoko, the orientation's in a few minutes," Midori said. "You have to get ready."

"Yeah…yeah…" Kyoko sighed, standing up slowly. "I'll meet you guys there. I don't wanna make you late."

"Fine," Midori said. "We'll see you, then."

Nami and Midori left the apartment.

"So…do you think the Rookie Nine will like us?" Midori asked. "It would be good to make friends with them…"

"Too late," Nami said nonchalantly, latching her hands behind her head and walking aloofly. "I had a run-in with Sasuke-baka yesterday."

"Oh no…_you didn't_," Midori said, sounding completely horrified.

"Don't worry, I didn't make it obvious that I knew that he was a hotshot traitor," Nami said. "But we're not exactly on good terms."

Midori sighed. "Geez…you make this a lot harder than it has to be…"

"Hey, it's no fun if everyone likes everyone," Nami pointed out.

"Whatever."

The girls came to the academy and walked into Iruka's classroom. Iruka hadn't arrived yet, and it seemed that Naruto was just now inspecting Sasuke closely.

_Uh oh…_Midori thought. She glanced at Nami from the corner of her eye. "Nami…you wouldn't…"

Nami had a devilish grin on her face. She walked over inconspicuously behind Naruto, the fox boy unsuspecting. Closing her eyes and planting a smile on her face, she breathed in and said, er, screamed, "HEY NARUTO!"

"Wha—" Naruto, surprised; fell forward, right smack into none other than the great Uchiha himself!

"What the—" Sakura, who had been standing off to the side with every other girl in the classroom (besides Hinata, that is) stood in shock.

The two boys broke contact, choking on their own saliva.

"GAH!" Naruto spat.

"BLEH!" Sasuke said, clutching his neck. Once he had spat a fair amount of liquid from his mouth and cleaned off his tongue, he looked at Nami hatefully. "You…you planned that, didn't you?!"

"I did no such thing," Nami said pleasantly.

Sasuke had revenge written all over his face. "What's your problem, huh? I barely know you and you're on my case!"

"What're you talking about?!" Nami said furiously. "_You're _the one on _my _case!"

Meanwhile, Naruto was trying to escape the fury of the fangirls.

"Gangway!" Naruto shouted. "I wanted to be chased by girls, but no like this!"

"Get back here, Naruto!"

"Yeah! Be a man!"

"REVENGE!"

"HOW DARE YOU KISS SASUKE!"

"It wasn't my faaaaauuullt!"

Midori stepped to the side as Naruto and the mob of girls ran out the door. She sighed. "Nami…why did you do that?" she muttered, slapping her forehead.

Minutes later…

Nami had found a spot next to Ino on the edge of the bench. Midori had sat next to Kiba who had greeted her with a toothy grin. Kyoko had gladly sat next to Shino, giving him the 'victory' sign and a cheesy smile.

"Good morning everyone," Iruka smiled. "Today you're all considered genin. You aren't academy students anymore, therefore, I won't be teaching you. Instead, you will be grouped up into teams of three according to your skills and will be trained under the supervision of a jounin sensei whom you will meet tomorrow. But today, you will be told which groups you're placed in." He looked around the room. _There are those girls…they actually came._

The girls waited patiently for their names to be called. Team Three…Team Four…Team Five…

Nami sighed, resting her cheek on her propped-up hand. "C'mon, sensei…"

"I hope I get in the same group as Sasuke-kun," Ino said quietly.

"Huh?" Nami said.

"Oh, you must not know him," Ino whispered. She pointed at Sasuke. "See him? He's Uchiha Sasuke, and he—"

"We've already met," Nami said.

"Isn't he the dreamiest guy you've ever met?"

"Not really," Nami said.

Ino was shocked. Shaking her head quickly she said, "You probably didn't get to know him! He's actually totally hot and talented and…" she continued.

Nami tuned her out.

"How troublesome…" Shikamaru sighed.

"Tell me about it, Shik."

"Shik?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.

"Yep. Like it?"

"Uh…"

"Team Seven: Uzumaki Naruto," Iruka announced. "Haruno Sakura…"

"YEAH!" Naruto cheered.

"Oh…" Sakura groaned.

"And Uchiha Sasuke."

"YES!" Sakura squealed.

"Aw…" Naruto sighed.

Midori smiled, amused. _Poor Naruto…_

Ino had a completely disappointed look on her face, and Sakura giving her the victory sign didn't soften her anger. "Gr…"

"Team Eight, Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino."

"I don't get you," Shikamaru said to Ino. "Why do all the girls like Sasuke anyway? He's not so special."

"Hmph," Ino said. "Shows what _you _know, Shikamaru. I'd hate to be on your team."

"Team Ten…Yamanaka Ino…Nara Shikamaru…"

"What?!" Ino gasped.

"Heh. Did you say that you'd hate to be on my team?" Shikamaru said, obviously amused.

"…And Akimichi Chouji."

_Not him too!_ Ino thought, clearly in distress.

"Tough break, huh?" Nami said, patting her on the shoulder with fake sympathy.

"Oh…"

"How could this happen?" Ino muttered. "What awful luck!"

As Iruka continued, Kyoko was _sure _her team would come next. Team Eleven…no…

"Team Twelve, Shimizu Kyoko…"

Kyoko's head perked up at the sound of her name.

"Hikari Midori…"

_Team Twelve, huh? _Midori thought.

"And Kawa Nami."

"It's about time, sensei!" Nami remarked.

"And you three are the last ones too," Iruka said. "So, everyone, think about your teammates, get to know them, and chow down for lunch!"

The students filed out of the classroom, the three girls walking together.

"Who's up for catching a glance at Naruto beat up Sasuke?" Nami whispered as the raven-haired Uchiha passed them without a bat of the eye. "I got a new camera yesterday…" She pulled a camera from behind her back.

"Could you be even crueler?" Kyoko said with disgust.

Nami lowered her head.

"But I'm in, I can't miss it!" Kyoko said excitedly.

Nami laughed. "Now _that's _what I like to hear!"

"I'd go, but I have some other stuff to do," Midori said.

"Like train with Neji and his team again?" Nami said, annoyed. "And that's another thing! I could've met _Lee_! That would've _rocked_. But _no_. You didn't want that to happen, did you?!"

"Dramatic, aren't you?" Midori said, slightly amused. "Sorry, but if you wanna meet someone, you have to leave that…_to the ties of fate_." And she ran off.

"Feh. Neji follower," Nami mumbled. She turned to Kyoko. "So wanna eat some ramen before we go? I think there's some time."

"Sure!"

The girls had spent another quarter of their money on Ichiraku Ramen, happily slurping up the tasty noodles.

"There's no ramen like Ichiraku!" Kyoko declared.

Old man Teuchi chuckled fondly. "Why thank you. What was your name again, miss?"

"That's Kyoko!" Kyoko said, stuffing some more noodles into her mouth.

"Well, Kyoko-kun, I like your taste. You're just like one of my other favorite customers…"

"Oh really?" Kyoko said.

"Yep. If you two were to get together to eat ramen, I'd be a rich man."

"Well, where I'm from, we have some pretty crappy ramen," Kyoko said. "Compared to this!"

Teuchi laughed whole-heartedly. "Well aren't you sweet!"

"Hey, Kyoko, you're taking way too long," Nami said. "I'm gonna go now."

"But—"

Nami had already gone off.

Kyoko's eyes started watering animatedly. "WHY DO THEY ALWAYS LEAVE ME LIKE THIS?!" She started to slurp her noodles while sniffling. As she wiped her eyes, she noticed a shadow falling over her. Turning around with several noodles hanging down her chin, she gasped. "You…"

--------------

"I've gotta get to know the other teams…" Midori said to herself. "If I know Kyoko and Nami…they'll want to take the Chuunin Exams, and so do I. It would be good to make a few small alliances before Kyoko and Nami say something to crush any chance of us having some helpful friends…Oh, whatever," she muttered. "I just want to make some friends!" As she pondered the rookie nine, she came back down from space to realize she had no idea where her feet had been taking her.

Glancing around, Midori sighed and let her body flop backwards into a field of soft grass. "But I have no idea where to find any of them…"

A shadow appeared above her. Midori's eyes fluttered open. "Huh…?"

--------------

Nami trudged down the streets of Konoha, kicking every rock she happened to come across. "Stupid Sasuke-baka…who the heck locks their doors while their inside eating? The idiot…"

She suddenly noticed a person standing in the way of her destination…wherever that was. "Hey, lady, do you mind?"

A tall woman with a mask and her hair in a high ponytail stood in front of Nami. Her eyes were golden and her hair was a sandy brown color. A Konoha hitai-ate was tied loosely on her small waist. "A bit impolite, aren't you?"

"Sorry," Nami immediately apologized. "Just having a bad day, is all. Excuse me."

"Hm, well," the woman said nonchalantly. "It's quite all right. And I don't think I want you to leave just now."

"Huh?"

The woman's eyes closed into happy arches and she chuckled a lovely, strong chuckle. "I would like to talk to you privately, if I may."

--------------

"Talk to me privately?" Midori said, confused. "Should I...should I know you?"

"Not yet, actually," the woman said mysteriously. "But it wouldn't hurt to bend some rules, no?"

-------------

"What do you mean 'not yet'?" Kyoko demanded. "Tell me!"

"All right," the woman said. "I will tell you…my name is Senshi Marieke, and I am a fellow jounin of this village."

"Well…that's good for you, but what does this have to do with me?" Kyoko asked.

"I am the person Iruka will assign as your team's sensei."

"HUH?" Kyoko jumped up, forgetting her precious ramen. "You're gonna be my sensei? Seriously?"

"Yes," Marieke nodded.

"But…we weren't supposed to meet our sensei until tomorrow!" Kyoko exclaimed. "And we're supposed to meet you somewhere else!"

"Well, I decided before that you would be worth seeing early," Marieke said.

"Me?"

"Yes. You seem to have more talent then your other two teammates," Marieke said, sitting down.

"You mean Nami and Midori?" Kyoko said, sitting back down as well. "You've met them already?"

"No. But I've seen them around," Marieke said. "And I've looked at the exam scores, and Iruka gave me some information about you as well."

"Oh," Kyoko said. _He didn't spill about us being from a different universe, did he? _"What did he tell you?"

--------------

"You're exceptionally talented," Marieke said, walking alongside Nami.

"Well, I don't like to brag…" Nami said aloofly. "But I suppose I'm a bit more athletic than Kyoko or Midori."

"Oh, not only that, but from what I've heard, you barely have any weaknesses," Marieke continued. "Iruka said so himself."

"He did?" Nami smiled. _That Iruka-sensei…_ "I try."

"And you get amazing results," Marieke said. "I've heard also that your other teammates haven't gotten such quick results."

Nami shrugged.

"And you must barely have any weaknesses, unlike your teammates."

--------------

"Well, I do admit that my weaknesses aren't as…conspicuous as Nami's or Kyoko's," Midori shrugged, looking over at Marieke who had sat next to her on the grass. She smiled. "But they both are strong, I know."

"Yes, yes, of course!" Marieke said. "But you are stronger. I can tell. If a person does not brag, they know they're strong. They know they don't need to brag. And besides, I bet _you _don't have petty weaknesses."

Midori stifled a giggle. "I suppose."

"I feel like I'm like you," Marieke said. "My weakness isn't noticeable either. Can you guess what it is?"

"…Men?" Midori guessed.

Marieke laughed. "In a way, yes. My weakness is the one man I've learned to think of as a significant other. If he were to betray me, I wouldn't be able to fight him. I take betrayal terribly. I completely cave in."

"I see."

"Yes, I'm sure your weakness isn't known to many like your teammates'."

Midori laughed a little. "Yeah, well, Nami acts strong and is a formidable opponent, but she's got this really terrible weakness."

"Oh? Do tell."

Midori couldn't see anything wrong with telling her soon-to-be sensei her friend's weakness. After all, she would soon find out anyway.

--------------

"Midori's got this major weakness…" Kyoko said.

--------------

"It's really stupid, though," Nami said. "And it's so easy to get to Kyoko. But don't tell her I told you!"

"Oh…don't worry, I won't as long as you don't tell your teammates about meeting me," Marieke smirked behind her mask. "I promise."

"Why not tell the others?" Nami asked in a perplexed tone.

"Oh, I don't want them to feel bad that I know you exceed them."

The next day...

"I wonder who our new sensei is," Nami remarked.

"Yeah, me too," Kyoko nodded.

It was a crisp, early morning in the village of Konoha. The feminine trio sat eagerly awaiting their new sensei, Marieke, in a classroom. It was only a matter of minutes before the mysterious woman would appear.

Midori looked at her two teammates. Kyoko was sitting with her legs crossed on one of the tabletops. Nami had seated herself on one of the benches, hands folded behind her head and a bored look on her face. She herself had seated herself next to Nami with her chin propped up with her hand. Both of her teammates talked normally, but she hardly spoke a word this morning, not that she ever really did compared to her friends. She hated keeping a secret from her teammates, even one that wouldn't really hurt them in any way. Why didn't she just tell them that she met Marieke-sensei the day before?

Before she got a chance to speak, Midori heard the door slide open.

"Good morning," Marieke said, appearing with a little wave. "How are you?"

"Energized and ready to go!" Kyoko announced.

"Ready to take on missions, if that's what you mean," Nami said.

"I'm fine, thanks," Midori replied. "And you?"

"Perfectly well," Marieke said. "I am your sensei, Senshi Marieke. And I say we get a move on to a different location before I learn more about you guys, er, girls."

The group of four had stopped in a secluded forest area, seemingly a training area. There was a log, which the girls seated themselves upon, a few large rocks (Marieke sat on one), some posts, and other training items. The area was wide and clear with only a few green spots mixed in with the earthy ground. Trees surrounded them, and birds chirped quietly.

"So, who wants to start?" Marieke asked. "Why don't you tell me about…well, you?"

"You mean…what we like and hate…and our hobbies and dreams?" Nami asked.

"Sure," Marieke shrugged.

"Oh! Me first!" Kyoko exclaimed, jumping up.

"Okay."

Kyoko sat down and took a deep breath, propping her arms onto her knees and placing her hands laced under her nose, concealing her mouth. (A/N: Think 'Sasuke') "My name…is Shimizu Kyoko…I hate a lot of things…and I don't particularly like anything. My dream…is not a dream. Because I WILL make it a reality."

Silence.

A crow flew overhead, cawing loudly. "Ca-CAW! Ca-CAW! Ca-CAW!"

WHACK!

"OW!" Kyoko wailed.

"WE'RE BEING SERIOUS HERE, YOU IDIOT!" Nami roared.

_That was almost perfectly identical to Sasuke's… _Midori sweat dropped.

"So…that's _not _what she's like? Then what's the real her?" _Thank goodness. I don't have an emotional wreck on my team…at least not too much_.

"She's Shimizu Kyoko, generally likes ramen, music, weapons, anything dark, and a certain guy…" Nami informed.

"She hates peppy fan girls, younger and usually more annoying people, very sweet foods, and to sum it all up…much, much, more," Midori continued.

"Her main hobby is daydreaming and her dream is to get the guy she likes and become his girlfriend," the two said in unison, Nami with her arms crossed and Midori with a finger pointed up in an explanation sort of fashion.

Kyoko sat in the background, a gloomy cloud over her head. "Thanks a lot guys…" she muttered. "You guys made me sound like a fanatic…some friends you are…and it's to marry him…"

"All right…" Marieke said with an eyebrow raised. _What an interesting girl. Though she may have some trouble with being distracted…_ "You next," she said, pointing to Midori.

"Me? I'm Hikari Midori," Midori said. "I like writing, drawing, silence, and my friends mostly. I hate noisy places, annoyances, and most distractions. Um…my hobbies are pretty much what I like, and my dream…well, I have a lot of dreams…one of them is to make everyone I love and care about happy."

"CoughandtomarrycoughNejicough," Nami murmured, coughing into her hand.

"Shut up," Midori whispered, jabbing her in the side.

_Hmph. The polite one doesn't seem shinobi material. She seems too nice, _Marieke thought. "And the last one?"

"Well…what I like is basically sports, power, and pranks. What I hate…I mean, the people I hate are Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke…my hobbies…are kicking guys' butts and my dream…" She smirked and lowered her head.

The girls leaned in a bit closer curiously.

"Is to be…THE WORLD'S FIRST SEKAIKAGE!" she announced while jiggling her forehead protector. (A/N: Think Naruto. Oh, and Sekaikage means "World Shadow" basically.)

Kyoko pouted. "And she whacked _me _for copying…" she muttered.

"…She's joking…" Midori sweat dropped. "She totally made that up on the spot…"

Marieke sat in silence for a while. _From what I've gathered…we have an unfocused dark girl…a polite and kind one, definitely non-shinobi…and a cocky one who dreams of becoming a dictator…did Iruka set me up with such a strange group on purpose? _

"**_Teaching is a big responsibility, Marieke. You're new at teaching and just became a jounin. Not only that, but you just came in from a village different from Konoha. You sure you're up for it?" Iruka asked._**

"_**Of course, Iruka. If it puts food on the table…" Marieke said smiling behind her mask.**_

"**_Then I have the perfect bunch for you…"_**

_Iruka…what did you get me into? _Marieke thought as she watched as her new team. Kyoko was shouting angrily at Nami who had her hands held out in front of her with a smile on her face saying something like, "It was a joke!" and Midori in between the girls, trying to keep Kyoko from clawing Nami's eyes out.

_He couldn't have meant THIS bunch…Well…guess I'll have to make the best of these girls…_

"You…" Kyoko said dangerously.

"Calm down," Midori advised.

"Yeah….we go through this every day!" Nami exclaimed.

"Girls."

The girls looked at their sensei.

"I think it's about time I have you complete your first assignment…Tomorrow, we meet back her at the crack of dawn, six AM. Do not be late and bring your shinobi gear. You'll need it."

Marieke disappeared in a burst of smoke.

"Crack of dawn," Midori mused. "I doubt that we'll get you up at the crack of _noon_."

"It's true…" Nami smiled.

"HEY! Don't _you _get me started!" Kyoko warned. "And I _so _can get up at six!"

* * *

Now you know about the main characters! And the fun begins...R&R please! 

-HM


	4. The Genin Exam

Hello everybody! Thanks for the reviews! Well...except one...flame.

IMPORTANT TO ME: Flames are funny thing, really. I don't really think of flames as flames as long as they give me constructive criticism. However, it seems that I received for the last chapter that stated:

this story is

overused

mary sue filled

retarded

and poorly written

Yeah...I wasn't very happy. And just because this'll haunt me for a while if I don't answer these comments, I'll type it here. Of course, you GRATEFUL readers don't need to read any of this and you may scroll down to the story. Thank you.

Overused: Big deal. So other people use this idea. The fact is that it's a fun idea to write and people can build around it. It's not like all of these "Narutoverse" stories are written the same.

Mary Sue Filled: If someone pays attention, you'd see that Midori can be bossy, Nami is mean and snappy at times, and Kyoko is hyper and loud sometimes. If you're referring to them as Mary Sues, you're referring to my friends and I as Mary Sues because they're based off of OUR personality. So thanks a lot.

Retarded: Great reason to flame, isn't it? sarcasm

Poorly Written: If its so poorly written, why not give me some pointers? I reread my work and I don't see how its so poorly written. Does it lack discription? Paragraphs? Plot? WHAT?

So, if anyone ELSE wants to flame me, I'd like it with some tips or pointers so I can fix my problems. If not, then its just garbage to me. I'm not one to delete any review, though. So that will probably stay up as a reminder to those who want to submit a productive review. DON'T review like that.

I'm proud of my work, so please don't try to tear me down unless its REALLY bad. Which even I know its not. Of course, some people can't be satisfied, and if its that bad, I'll know when a waterfall of flames appear in my inbox.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

The next morning at the crack of dawn the girls were at the site with their ninja gear. Kyoko was slowly nodding off on the spacious ground. Midori sat on the log, her hands propping up her head and a sleepy look on her face. Nami was laying on her back, staring at the sky, her eyelids dropping.

Kyoko yawned. "AH-ah…" She rubbed her eyes. "Do you think Marieke-sensei's like Kakashi?"

"She _does _have pretty much the same mask," Nami shrugged.

"I hope not," Midori said. "Kakashi-sensei's not exactly the most reliable person when it comes to teaching and helping out sometimes."

"You girls know about Kakashi?"

The three jumped and turned around.

Marieke stood behind them. "Good morning, girls."

"Morning," the girls said.

"So, what about Kakashi, huh?" Marieke said.

"Er…" Midori said. "He uh…is teaching…Team Seven, right?"

"That's right," Marieke nodded. "How do you girls know Kakashi?"

"Uh…who doesn't know about Copy Ninja Kakashi?" Nami said quickly. "We heard he lives in Konoha, so…yeah."

"Uh huh…" Marieke said. "Anyway…" She pulled out a piece of red cloth from behind her back.

"What's that cloth for?" Kyoko asked.

"It's a flag for your test," Marieke said. "This test will judge whether you're skilled enough to become an actual genin team…or if you just got lucky when passing the academy exams. The point is, if don't complete this test then you'll be sent back to the academy to start from scratch."

The girls were silent.

Marieke expected them to groan or complain, but when they didn't she continued. "I have another flag set somewhere in this area. The boundaries are one hundred yards out at all sides. You have until noon to retrieve the flag together, that's six hours. Oh, and when I say together…" She pulled out a long rope. "I mean _together_."

The team exchanged nervous glances.

A few minutes later the girls were tied together. Midori was on the left side and her right leg was tied. Kyoko was in the middle with her right leg tied. Nami was on the right side and her left leg was tied. There was a space about three feet long between each girl.

"Okay," Marieke said. She set a timer on a stump and pushed it down. "Start when you're ready." With that said, she disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Yosh!" Kyoko cried, pointing a finger in the air. "Let's GO!" She started running energetically…for two seconds.

WHUMP.

"So where do you think the flag is?" Midori asked Nami.

"Beats me, it could be anywhere," Nami shrugged.

"Well wherever it is, we just need to stay focused," Midori declared.

Kyoko angrily stood up. "HEY! We're supposed to be _looking _for the flag here! We only have six hours!" she fumed.

Nami and Midori were blown away by her volume momentarily but then jumped back.

"Now _that's _the kind of focus I'm talking about!" Midori said, laughing. "Okay, let's start."

"THAT WAY!" Kyoko, Midori, and Nami shouted, pointing in various directions. They all started running in their direction.

WHUMP.

"Okay, I'm getting _really _tired of that…" Kyoko groaned.

A while later, the girls started making progress. They jumped through the trees skillfully, Nami in the front, then Kyoko, and Midori in the back.

"Keep your eyes opened for the flag!" Midori called. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of something thin reflecting off the tiny sunlight that had crept through the trees. _Huh? What is that? _She squinted. _Thread? THREAD! _"Guys, stop!"

"Huh?" Nami looked back.

"A trap!" Kyoko shouted.

Nami stopped abruptly, but fell as Kyoko crashed into her.

"AH!"

A barrage of kunai and shuriken attacked from the front, heading straight towards Kyoko and Nami. Midori accelerated off the branch behind and careened in front of her teammates. With the Hikari Shuishou glowing, she waved her hand swiftly in front of her. A light green shield appeared.

TOK! TOK! TOK! TOK!

"Phew…" Nami and Kyoko breathed.

"Nice job, Midori," Nami said.

"Heh…" Midori sighed.

"Wait a second…" Kyoko said, glancing down at the rope that connected her right leg to Midori's.

The rope snapped at Kyoko's legs, making her trip and fall into Nami once more. Nami tripped and fell into Midori.

TOING.

Another thread was placed in front of them. As the girls toppled towards the ground,

"Ah!" they screamed.

"I've had enough of this!" Nami shouted, performing hand seals. "Growth no Jutsu! Growth Technique!"

Kyoko whipped out a kunai in one hand and a handful of needles in the other.

Midori held onto her crystal and made a hand seal. "Shield of Light!"

Several tree branches started to grow above the falling Nami. The weapons stabbed the wood noisily. Nami touched the ground lightly on one knee.

Kyoko threw the needles at several targets, knocking them into other weapons and steering them off course and away from her. She brandished her kunai, ricocheting even more weapons off the cold metal. She followed after Nami and landed easily.

Midori waved her hand in front of her, a bright light leaking from her wrist down. A transparent shield appeared in front of her. The weapons bounced off the surface and away from her. She made contact with the earth next to Kyoko.

Weapons clattered around them onto the soft grass.

The three collapsed in unison.

"Well, that was pleasant," Midori said, standing back up and brushing herself off. "It's a good thing we reviewed these things before we went out…" She took out her ninja info card. "We should have known Marieke-sensei would have traps set. It was too easy."

"That was totally awesome!" Kyoko exclaimed, jumping up. "Danger and the feeling that you may be killed in a second…it's so…invigorating!"

"I'm surprised you could use the word 'invigorating' correctly in a sentence," Nami said, standing up as well.

"I'm too pumped to care about your rude comment, Nami!" Kyoko said. "Come on, let's go find that flag!"

"I think we should continue on foot from now on," Midori said. "At least, for the next few minutes or so. We need to be able to walk in sync."

"Yeah, that jumping through the trees thing didn't work too well, did it?" Nami said.

They started walking, looking from left to right for something red. Besides Kyoko's constant humming, everything was silent. After a while, Kyoko's humming turned to soft singing. **_"Mr. Sandman…bring me the guy…with a love kanji above his left eye…"_**

"Kyoko, can you…not do that?" Midori said quietly.

"**_Give him two lips like roses and clover…and tell him that his lonely night are over…" _**

"ARGH! Will you _please _shut _up_?" Nami shouted. "You're Gaara worshipping is driving me crazy!"

Kyoko stuck her tongue at Nami. "It's a free country. It's not _my _fault that you don't have anyone to love."

"Uh guys…" Midori stepped in front of Kyoko in case Nami felt the urge to kill.

"He doesn't _love _you, he has no idea you even exist, so give it up!" Nami said irritably.

"Guys!"

"Take that back!" Kyoko exclaimed.

"GUYS! SHUT UP!"

Kyoko and Nami stared questionably at Midori who had turned red from annoyance.

"Look," Midori said, taking a deep breath. "Just…just be quiet for a few minutes, okay? Concentrate on the mission."

Nami and Kyoko just turned away, crossing their arms.

"I'll just…walk in the middle of you two for now," Midori said gently.

"Fine by me," Nami said.

"Whatever," Kyoko said.

Midori sighed.

Everyone was silent, not looking at one another and trying to contemplate where the red flag was.

"Geez, she gets so mad whenever anyone disses her _lover_. I mean, come _on_. They guy has no idea she exists, and besides…he's like, this homicidal psycho, I swear. Actually, she's a Short-tempered Psycho herself."

Kyoko's eyes widened. What the heck was Nami saying? And why wasn't Midori doing anything about it? Her fists shook. _Short-tempered Psycho, huh Nami? Well…_

WHAM!

Midori stared at Kyoko in shock. Kyoko had run almost as fast as _Lee _past her and towards Nami, body-slamming her forward.

"Whoa!" Midori fell forward, the rope tugging at her ankle.

Kyoko was angrily throwing punches at Nami.

"Ow! Ow! What the heck are you doing?!" Nami shouted, shielding herself. She kicked Kyoko off of her, but it backfired on her. The rope pulled her slightly. "You freak! What was that for?"

"You don't think I would get mad after what you said?!" Kyoko demanded angrily. "Take it back!"

"What? About telling you to shut up?" Nami said, confused.

"Don't play dumb, Nami!" Kyoko hollered. "You know what you said!"

"Hey, I didn't say anything for the past ten minutes!" Nami argued impatiently. "You're delusional!"

"What? Yeah right! Midori, you heard it, didn't you?" Kyoko asked, confident that her friend would be on her side this time. Why wouldn't she?

"Tell her what happened, Midori!" Nami said. "You _know _I didn't say anything!"

"I uh…" Midori stuttered. "I actually…didn't hear Nami say anything for the past ten minutes, Kyoko."

"See?" Nami said triumphantly. She turned around forcefully and started walking again. "Short-tempered Psycho…"

"See? That's what you said!" Kyoko yelled angrily. She lunged forward, but Midori held her back.

"Stay in line," she ordered. "This isn't the best time to act like a…crazy person," Midori said carefully, side-stepping the word "psycho". "You probably just fantasized the whole thing. Keep going." She released Kyoko and followed Nami.

_Is she deaf or something? I didn't just imagine Nami saying that, _Kyoko thought irately. She just decided to bypass what had happened as best as she could. She took a deep breath and continued.

Marieke chuckled quietly from behind a tree. _Time for Phase Two. _

Shortly afterward, Nami heard Midori talking.

"I have no idea why she hates Sasuke so much. Sure, you could say he's 'bad' or something, but he isn't _that _bad. Every girl had the impression that he's this great, good-looking genius, but not Nami."

Nami tried to tune Midori out. What was Midori saying and _why _was she saying it?

"I even liked him at first, but Nami just seemed to hate him. Sometimes I think it's all a front, like she's hiding a secret infatuation with Sasuke, you know? Sometimes I think she _likes _him. It's possible."

"WHAT!" Nami stopped abruptly, and whirled around to face Midori.

Midori was surprised and almost ran into Nami. She stepped back to avoid standing within her personal space. "Uh…is something wrong? Why did you stop?"

"Is something wrong?" Nami repeated dangerously. "Is something…_wrong_? What do _you _think? I can't believe you said that!"

"Uh…" Midori said blankly. "You stopped…so I asked if anything was wrong? It's a…force of habit."

"Not _that_!" Nami looked like she was about to blow her top. "I hate Sasuke, and you know it! From the deep depths of my heart, I _loathe _him! I want Itachi to finally _kill _him and then let me burn his remains!"

"…I know…" Midori said slowly.

"ARGH!" Nami screamed. "Do you have short memory lapses or something? Because you just said that you think I liked him! WELL I DON'T!"

"I said no such thing!" Midori exclaimed. "You know, you guys are acting really strangely, what's with you?"

"What's with _you_? I heard you!"

"I didn't say anything!"

"Is this getting me back for playing around with Kyoko? Huh? Is this some twisted way of teaching me a lesson or something?"

"_What _are you talking about?"

"Argh! Never mind! Don't talk to me!" Nami stormed off and the other two were forced to follow.

"Whoa…that…was weird…" Kyoko said.

Marieke smiled underneath her mask. _Next…the tranquil one. _She made a few hand seals, faced Midori, took out a small device, a tape recorder, and played it.

Midori had no idea what was going on with her teammates. She let Kyoko walk past her so that she was at the end of the line again. What was Nami talking about? She shook her head. Maybe she was trying to just find a reason to explode…but than again, that didn't really make sense. This was really too much. If her friends decided to joke around again, _she'd _explode. There was no way they would be able to find the flag. Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice. It was Kyoko's.

"She really flips out when she's annoyed enough. It's actually kind of funny…if you're not the one being pummeled. It seems like she's calm like…_all _the time and never gets mad. But when she does, you wish that she _was _calm all the time."

A vein bulged in Midori's head. _Funny? When I flip out? She thinks it's _funny_? Calm down…calm down…don't give her what she wants. She's just trying to psych you out. Just pretend you didn't hear anything._

Marieke frowned. _Hm…this one will be a bit tougher than the other two…she doesn't seem to get wound up too easily…_

"Like this one time I kept bugging her while she was doing something and she practically attacked me! After a while she calmed down and seemed to try to forget anything happened, but it was _so_ hilarious. I was really freaked out."

_Why is she telling Nami _thatMidori thought.

_This isn't good enough, _Marieke thought. _Plan B. _She made a few other hand seals and started talking. Her voice sounded exactly like Nami. "Hey Kyoko, you'd better not stalk Gaara when he gets here. He'll totally hate you and he'll kill you without even knowing your name. Oh, and you know what? Haku's a girl."

"That's it!" Kyoko shouted. She tackled Nami to the ground.

"What the--!" Nami scrambled away from Kyoko. "You crazy freak!"

"I'm gonna make you take that back!"

"Take what back?!" She held Kyoko back with her foot. "What's wrong with you today?!"

"Stop it!" Midori ordered. "Kyoko!" She tried to pry her teammate off of Nami, but she had a tight hold.

"Get off me!" Nami ordered furiously.

"RAH!"

"ARGH!"

"HEY!"

Kyoko and Nami started rolling, for the trail had started going downhill. Midori got caught in the scramble, and the three of them spun down the trail. The rope started to get tangled within the three girls, making them one big angry, confused, and annoyed cluster.

When the ground leveled, a disheveled Midori propped herself up on one arm. She watched shockingly at her teammates. Kyoko was still beating Nami with all her might while Nami tried to hold her back.

"Guys!"

Nami broke free and jumped back up on the tree branches, but slipped down. She concentrated the chakra towards her feet and stood as high up as she could on the trunk of a tree.

"_Guys!_"

Kyoko followed Nami, pulling Midori along. Nami reached a tree branch and hopped on while Kyoko was two steps away.

"GUYS!"

The two were arguing loudly, making birds fearfully disperse.

Midori had had enough. She heatedly ran at her teammates and pinned them against the tree with her fists.

Kyoko and Nami gasped.

Midori was breathing hard. She looked beyond mad. She was ENRAGED.

"M-Midori…?" Nami and Kyoko said softly.

"KNOCK IT OFF!" Midori slammed them against the tree again. Her chakra seemed to be circulating through her arms intensely, making her usually flimsy strength fortify. The tree almost cracked. The girls had made an indent in the bark.

CRACK.

"Unh!" Kyoko and Nami grunted under their breath. They clung onto Midori's wrists with both their hands desperately.

"_Why _can't you guys just get along? You have to fight every single day, don't you? Nami!"

CRACK.

She held Nami higher and smashed her into the tree again. "_You _have to get Kyoko started! And Kyoko!"

CRACK.

She did the same with Kyoko. "_You _have to be so vulnerable to her insults! You guys are…ARGH!"

CRACK.

The tree finally gave way and the girls started tumbling down once more. By this time, they were pretty high up with several branches underneath them.

"AH!"

Midori snapped out of her rage. She was awfully tired from her strange outburst. Her eyes shut and she waited for impact with the ground. It never came. She opened her eyes. "...Huh…?"

Kyoko was groaning. She had hit the branch of the tree and was gripping the branch with both her arms and legs. She rubbed her head. "You guys okay?"

"Besides almost getting killed twice by both my teammates, I'm fine," Nami said. She was hanging by the rope upside-down on one side of the branch.

"I'm…okay…" Midori said. She was hanging upside-down as well on the opposite side of Nami. "Sorry…guys…I guess I kind of lost my head for a second there…"

"More than a second, actually," Nami said, chuckling a little. "But…I _guess_ I shouldn't have tempted you guys so much. Sorry. But that's what I do, you know?"

"Yeah, we know," Kyoko sighed.

They were silent for a moment.

"Don't _you _have anything to say?" Midori asked.

Kyoko stared down at her teammates vacantly.

"Try 'I'm sorry for being such a baby about everything everyone says'," Nami said.

"HEY!" Kyoko exclaimed.

"I hate to say it, but I think that would be a good thing to say," Midori said.

"Okay, okay," Kyoko said. "I'm sorry for being so…easy to get mad all the time."

"That works too," Nami shrugged. "Now uh, how about you get us up?"

"I can't pull you guys up…" Kyoko said helplessly.

"Baby."

"Nami!"

"Fine, I'll get up _myself_," Nami said. She grunted as she climbed up the rope tiredly. Once she got onto the branch with Kyoko, Kyoko fell.

"Whoa!"

Midori fell farther down.

"Crap…" Nami held onto the branch.

"Hey guys!" Kyoko laughed, while pointing up. "I see the flag!"

"What?" Midori said. "Where?"

"Up there!" Kyoko said, pulling out a kunai. "I'll get it! Unh!" She tossed the kunai, almost skimming Nami.

"Watch it!"

"Sorry!"

The kunai flew through the trees and past the flag.

"Nice job, Tex, you missed."

"Look again, Nami."

The kunai had loosened the flag that was stuck in the trees. The flag started floating down peacefully.

"I er…stand corrected," Nami said.

"Grab it, Nami!" Kyoko called.

"I can't unless you want a cracked head!" Nami exclaimed, adjusting her hold on the branch.

"I got it! I got it! I—" Kyoko made a grab for it…but missed, "—don't got it…"

Midori caught the flag, dropped it then caught it again with the tips of her fingers. "Gotcha!"

"Yes!" Kyoko cheered. "We found the flag!"

"Well that's just great," Nami said. "Now how are we gonna get—uh oh…"

CRACK.

"AH!" For the umpteenth time that day, the girls were sent toppling down from a height.

"Ow!" Midori landed on her backside.

"Umph!" Kyoko landed face-down into the soft grass.

"Erk!" Nami landed on her side.

They groaned together.

"Well…" Midori said, smiling oddly. "At least we have the flag." She held up the bright red cloth.

Later…

The girls hustled back to their original spot where they found their sensei waiting.

"Here's…the…flag…" Midori breathed, dropping the flag.

"Good job, girls," Marieke said. "You're a few minutes early. Now tell me, how did you get it?"

The girls looked at each other then stood straight in line.

"We had a few disadvantages," Midori started. "Like our clashing personalities and of course, the 'sticking together'."

"At first we fought because it seemed like we were insulting each other," Kyoko said. "We still don't know how that happened."

"But in the end, we pulled together and…fell upon the flag…literally," Nami finished.

Marieke closed her eyes happily and smiled. "I see. Well, then I suppose I should tell you the extra trap in my test."

"Huh?" the three said.

"I'm sure that you all remember when I met you the other day," Marieke said.

"Met us?" they said.

"Yes. I met up with each of you, at least, parts of me did. I used the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. Do you remember what we talked about?"

Midori's eyes widened. "Yeah...you asked me about Nami and Kyoko's weaknesses…"

"And you said I was the best!" Kyoko exclaimed.

"She told me _I _was the best," Nami accused. "Were you trying to soften us up before asking us our weaknesses? Were you…_recording _us?"

"That's right," Marieke nodded, clearly amused. "You see, I have a genjutsu technique. I call it my Hidden Speech no Jutsu. This jutsu allows me to take a recording and target one person or more so they're the only one that hears it. In some cases I'd be able to disguise my voice and once again, target one person. That's what I had to do with you, Midori."

The girls listened, shocked at what had just happened to them under their noses.

"Wait a minute! So you told Marieke-sensei about Haku and Gaara?!" Kyoko shouted, pointing a finger at Nami.

"Eh…heh…" Nami said uncertainly. "Only that you hated when people called a friend of yours named Haku a girl…and that you love a Sand nin Gaara…"

"Hey! You told her about how terrible I get when I get mad," Midori said, annoyed. "Why did you do that for?"

"Tch. You should talk!" Nami said. "You told her that you thought I liked Sasuke! Some friend you are!"

"Eh…"

"The point is, I was testing to see if you all could keep a level head during a mission. It's clear to me that you couldn't. You all fail."

"WHAT!" the three shouted, more or less loudly.

"Ninja need to be calm and tranquil at all times, not to mention have teamwork. I'm sure that if I didn't force you all to be together, you would've split up for the wrong reason. You don't work as a team, and this would lead to poor ninja skills and failure. Back to academy with you."

"Y-You can't do that!" Kyoko exclaimed shakily. "W-We got your flag! You have to pass us! If we got the flag then you said that we'd pass! That's what you said!"

"I said nothing of the sort," Marieke said. "I said that this test would test your skills as ninja. The flag just gave you something to concentrate on." She started to walk away.

"I'm sorry, sensei, but that's just the most messed up thing I've ever heard!" Nami said. "The only thing that matters is that we worked as a team in the end, right?"

Marieke stopped, but she didn't turn around. "Yes, it is. And I can see now that if a certain person was there, then two of you would still be quarreling in the woods." She turned around. "I can also see that only one of you has passed my second test."

"Second test?" Nami said.

"What second test?" Kyoko asked.

"Yes. Only one of you took your failure with a level head. Therefore, Midori will remain a genin and you two will go back to the academy," Marieke said. "And without your outburst, Midori, the other two wouldn't have realized what they did wrong. Congratulations."

"W-What?" Midori said.

Nami and Kyoko stared at Marieke then at each other and then at Midori.

"Sensei, I can't!" Midori said nervously. "I can't."

"Why not? You'll be assigned to a different team, no biggie."

"It's not that!" Midori said, a bit louder. "My teammates…are my friends. I won't leave them behind, and if they aren't going to stay genin, I'm not!"

Marieke raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"We're a team," Midori said, looking from Kyoko to Nami. "The three of us. We'll move up the ranks of a ninja together."

"No way, Midori," Nami said.

"Huh?"

Nami sighed. "You should stay a genin. Kyoko and I will catch up to you soon. You have to take this opportunity to move up a rank, don't worry about us."

"Yeah," Kyoko agreed. "We won't feel miserable about ourselves, we'll feel happy for you."

Midori didn't know what to say.

A laugh cut through the air. Marieke…was laughing. "You passed! All of you!"

"Huh?"

"How?" Nami asked.

"That was a third test," Marieke said. "I can see that the three of you care for each other very much like teammates…and more importantly, _friends _do. That's what I was truly looking for!"

"YEAH!" Kyoko punched the air. "That's so cool! I passed!"

Nami smirked. "That is…so messed up."

Midori smiled lopsidedly.

"Well, why don't I treat you three to ramen? Do you like ramen?" Marieke offered.

"DO I?"" Kyoko exclaimed. "SURE!"

"Wait a minute…" Nami said. "This…isn't another test, is it?"

"No way, this is for real," Marieke said.

"Okay then," Nami said.

"TO ICHIRAKU!" Kyoko shouted, pointing a finger into the air.

Marieke laughed. "Right away." _These girls...are something._

_

* * *

_

Okay, so I squeezed the whole test in one chapter! Yay! Hope you like it! Oh, and the flame thing still kind of bugs me, (at least, the Mary Sue part). Are the characters really Mary Sue-ish? I'm still not sure. Please tell me in your review! I suppose they would seem so in the first and maybe second chapter, but characters need time to develop and show their actual personalities. Anyway, R&R please!

-HM


	5. Training

I'm happy to see that my review rate is increasing nicely and I thank all my reviewers. I also have a special announcement.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: As you all know, the three main OCs in this story are based of of me and a few of my best friends. Well, it turns out that Nami seems to have taken a hand at writing fanfiction too! She might very well get her own account on FF, but for now, I thought I'd let her write the next five chapters of Narutoverse no Jutsu. I'm sure you'll see that our writing styles are distinctively different, but its good practice and I'm all about giving people chances. She's full of ideas and I know she'll be a great FF writer. So basically, Nami's going to write the next chapters which consist of our first "dangerous" mission!

Again, thanks for the encouraging reviews!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

"Go! Go! Go! Move it, girls! Knees high! Only a few more laps to go!"

"This…is…murder…" Midori gasped.

"I'm dying…" Kyoko groaned.

"Too late…" Nami moaned.

Ever since six AM that morning, the girls had been running around the training site which seemed to get bigger and bigger with each lap. The sun had risen over the horizon hours ago and the girls felt like their legs had fallen off. Back in the real world, the girls could barely do three laps around the track (Nami doing four sometimes) and now they had lost count at forty-something.

"That's IT!" Nami shouted furiously as she screeched to a stop, causing her teammates to bowl her over.

"Why'd you stop?" Midori asked as she picked herself up and off of her teammates.

"I'm sick of this!" Nami shouted, pushing Kyoko off of her. "Sensei! Why are we doing some stupid training instead of missions?! The other teams are already off doing missions!"

"That's true…" Midori muttered.

"We aren't even doing the lame missions…" Kyoko whispered.

Marieke looked at the girls sternly. "Think. What's different between you three and the other genin teams?"

The girls were silent.

"We have power?" Nami guessed.

"We're more advanced?" Kyoko tried.

Marieke glared at the two.

WHACK!

"Ow!" Nami and Kyoko screamed, rubbing the backs of their heads.

"No!" Marieke shouted.

"We're…a three-woman team," Midori said quietly.

"That's correct," Marieke said loudly. "The other genin teams have two males and one female. Kunoichi are spread within the male shinobi, one girl per team. I don't know _why _Iruka decided to put you three on the same team…"

The three gulped.

"But I do know that the three of you lack the strength that the male shinobi have!"

"Hey! That's totally sexist of you, sensei!" Nami exclaimed. "And you're a woman!"

"How can you say that about your own sex?" Kyoko said incredulously.

"I say it because it's true," Marieke said sharply. "Although it is possible for a kunoichi to rise above a male shinobi, it's extremely rare. The point is you girls are too lazy to rise to the right level. You think it'll come easy. And you barely passed your test as well. Since you are all girls on one team, you lack what the other teams have! To make it simple, you must train harder!"

"Sensei, does it have to be all taijutsu?" Midori asked. "Like you said, we may lack upper body strength..."

"Who's side are you on?!" Kyoko and Nami screamed.

"Fine, _I _do," Midori said, rolling her eyes. "But we all have different strengths in other styles."

"You're right," Marieke nodded. "That's one thing I'm certain of. Therefore, you girls must take three tests."

"Not more tests!" Nami groaned.

Marieke whacked her again.

"Ouch…"

"Listen for once!" Marieke ordered. She cleared her throat. "You will take three tests. From these I will gather information about your strengths and weaknesses. Then I will train you each properly."

The first test Marieke had her students do was simple target practice with three basic weapons. She noted that Midori was able to hit most targets with shuriken better than kunai and senbon. Nami was fairly well-rounded with all three weapons, but Kyoko was the one who hit the nail on the head with all of the weapons, not missing one target.

_She's excellent with senbon and exceeds the other two, _Marieke thought. _Yes…Kyoko will become a fine weapon user…if she works hard enough. _She sighed. _I doubt it…_

The next test was based on chakra control and chakra strength. Kyoko, Midori, and Nami were to do the basic running up the tree by sending chakra to their feet.

Marieke noticed the crystal hanging from Midori's neck was glowing. She sensed a large amount of chakra surging through the girl's body.

_Midori's chakra is completely different from yesterday. Yes…the Hikari Suishou lets the owner increase their chakra tenfold…With that crystal activated, she definitely rises above her teammates in the quantity of chakra she's able to draw…and she's not half bad at controlling it too…_

It took several hours before all three of them reached a designated branch Marieke had marked on each of the trees. Midori had reached her branch first followed by Nami and two seconds later, Kyoko.

"Haha, I beat you!" Nami mocked Kyoko.

"By half a second!" Kyoko said angrily.

"Two seconds."

"Whatever!" Kyoko shouted. "You—"

"Are you girls forgetting that you have one more test left?" Marieke said, arms crossed and vein pulsing on the side of her head.

The girls shut their mouths.

"All right, the last test will be a three-way battle between you three."

"You want us to fight each other?" Midori said, surprised.

"That's right. Think of it as a bit of training. I'll stop the battle once I've finished observing what you three can do," Marieke explained.

The girls backed up in a triangle-like formation, thoughts racing through their heads.

_Hmph. I've been waiting for something like this…_Nami smirked.

"Ready…"

_I'll get Nami back…_Kyoko thought determinedly.

"Set…"

_Great...This is not good…_Midori thought worriedly.

"Begin!"

Instantly, Kyoko jumped backwards instinctively as Nami appeared before her, slamming her fist forward. Darting to the right, Kyoko pulled out a kunai and slashed at Nami's arm. Nami flipped out her own weapon and the sound of metal clashing pierced the air. Several times the noise of the two knives meeting sounded until both girls pulled back.

Taking out a few needles from her holster, Kyoko sent the needles flying towards her teammate. Nami, who still had her kunai in hand, deflected the ongoing senbon rendering them useless. She started to charge at Kyoko. Once she was some feet away, she threw her kunai and launched a dynamic entry kick towards the other girl.

Kyoko dodged the kunai and caught Nami's foot, smirking. Her smirk immediately disappeared when Nami spun around, attempting to attack her with her free leg. Kyoko released Nami and ducked just before the kick hit her.

Nami touched the ground and started to bust out a barrage of punches and kicks.

Kyoko didn't have a second to attack. The only thing she could do was defend herself against Nami's constant attacks.

Marieke watched as Nami pushed Kyoko back, though not doing much damage at all. Then she turned her attention to Midori and shouted, "Midori! Don't just stand there and do nothing! Attack your teammates!"

"Y-Yes sensei!" Midori said, caught a little off guard. She hesitantly reached into her holster and picked out two shuriken. Then she feebly threw the weapons as if she wasn't trying to hit anyone. Nonetheless, the weapons hit the two distracted girls, drawing the smallest amount of blood from each of them.

"OW! Midori!" the two shouted in unison.

"Sorry!"

Marieke slapped her forehead. "Okay, okay, that's enough."

A few minutes later, the three students sat on the log with their sensei pacing in front of them sternly. She glared every few seconds at each girl menacingly.

"I am severely disappointed in you three," Marieke said with her hands laced behind her back. "Kyoko!"

Kyoko glanced up at her sensei with worried eyes.

"During the third test, you were completely ineffective. You didn't land one hit on Nami and you were too defensive. I saw many openings in which you could've attacked Nami, though you refrained to do so. And I doubt it was because you were afraid of hurting her. You were too careless."

Kyoko's brow furrowed.

"Midori!"

Hearing her name, Midori looked at her sensei guiltily.

"I could see that you were reluctant to attack your teammates, but doing nothing at all while you could've easily beaten them isn't acceptable! Your teammates were foolish into going after each other like that, but it was extremely foolish of _you _to stand around and be a spectator. Not only did I have to force you to attack, but the attack was useless."

Midori lowered her head. "Sorry, sensei…"

"Nami!"

Nami waited to be told off.

"You were too intent on attacking Kyoko without thinking your actions through. It was obvious from the start that you would only rely on brute force to win. That never works. You constantly attacked Kyoko and if the fight had been longer which it would have, then you would've run out of energy and Kyoko would beat you. Your actions were disgraceful."

Nami's eyes narrowed.

"Your first few tests weren't bad, and I thought that you all had some potential," Marieke continued. "But I suppose I was wrong. You girls act as though being ninja is just a game. You're all wrong for the lives of ninja, so I suggest you retire early. I disown you three as my students."

"WHAT?!"

"Sensei, you can't do that!" Midori cried.

"I can and I did," Marieke said, turning her back on the girls. "If you girls aren't going to be serious, there's no reason to train you. It was my mistake that I passed you. Now if you'll excuse me, I must consult Hokage-sama with my decision so I may obtain some new students."

"Hey!" Nami shouted angrily as she stood up. "You can't just walk away after you insulted us like that!"

"Sen—I mean, Marieke-san, you can't just quit after the first day!" Midori said, still shocked.

"And we aren't just some item that you can throw away!" Kyoko added heatedly. "And we're going to become ninja whether you're there for us or not!"

Marieke stopped at this declaration.

"That's right!" Nami agreed. "We'll train each other, we don't need your help to do anything! And you know what? Once we're the best ninja in Konoha, we'll defeat you!"

By the time Nami ended her sentence Marieke was gone.

"I…can't believe she left," Midori said sadly.

"Who needs her anyway," Nami said, waving her hand nonchalantly. "We definitely don't."

"Yeah! Let's train!" Kyoko declared.

Midori nodded, but looked back to where she had last seen Marieke.

Marieke had started her way towards the Hokage Mansion; angry at the thought of those insolent girls she had called students.

"Hello, Marieke."

Marieke didn't stop walking. "Kakashi."

"What's the rush?" Kakashi asked, catching up to Marieke.

Marieke looked over at him and made a face at the sight of his perverted book. "Nothing that matters much."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, though his eyes were still on the book. "What's the problem?"

"My students are complete brats."

"Aren't all students?"

"Not that Rock Lee kid from Gai's team."

"Well, students like him come once in a blue moon," Kakashi shrugged. "My students are brats too."

"I'm disowning them."

"Why?"

"Did Iruka tell you about the three-woman team?"

Kakashi nodded. "Yes, actually. They seem to have popped out of nowhere, in my opinion. I never remembered seeing them at the academy, and neither has Asuma."

"Well, who puts three girls on a team?"

"I thought you'd be delighted. Wasn't it your dream to show that women can be just as good shinobi as men?"

"Yes, but I doubt these girls could do such a thing," Marieke said. "I won't be able to train them to do anything."

"Aren't you jumping to conclusions?" Kakashi asked.

"Of course not. These girls just don't have what it takes."

"That's what I thought when I found out Naruto would be in my cell…"

"Naruto? That Uzumaki boy with the Kyuubi sealed inside of him?" Marieke said, surprised. "I'm surprised he passed, his scores are terrible!"

"Well, it's true," Kakashi nodded.

"Are you able to train him?" Marieke asked.

"Well…he's an impatient moron who has the worst skills I've ever seen."

"…"

"But he's sure fun to watch," Kakashi said, his eye turning into a happy arch.

"If he's such a terrible ninja then why train him?"

"I have a feeling he'll amount to big things," Kakashi said mysteriously. "With some time and training, any ninja can become great. You should know that."

The two jounin sensei stopped. Before them stood the Hokage Mansion.

"Well, this is your stop isn't it?" Kakashi said, turning left and walking off. "I'll see you later, Marieke. Good luck."

Marieke didn't answer him. She looked up at the tall building then pushed the door open.

"Hi-yah!" Kyoko was sweating as Nami blocked her blow.

"Your taijutsu sucks!" Nami mocked.

"Shut up, Nami!" Kyoko shouted, aiming a punch towards her face.

Nami ducked only to trip over Kyoko's swinging leg.

"Hey!"

Kyoko looked at her victoriously. "Hey, Midori! Wanna tag in? I think Nami's getting tired," she smirked.

"I am not!" Nami shouted.

"No thanks," Midori said. She had sat with her back against a tree while reading a scroll she had picked up earlier. "I think I'll concentrate on my own style. I bet you guys can tell that I won't be a tajiutsu master."

"No kidding," Nami said, standing up and brushing herself off. "What're you gonna do anyway?"

"Well, knowing that you guys probably won't think of whether you die or not when you come into battle, I think I'll try my hand at medical ninjutsu. _Someone _has to make sure you don't kill yourselves," Midori said, grinning slightly.

The two girls looked at each other.

"That was an insult, was it?" Kyoko said.

"I believe it was," Nami said.

Both teammates peered at their tranquil teammate in an intimidating way.

"C'mon guys, I was just joking," Midori smiled nervously. "But I am going to do medical ninjutsu."

"Hmph, that's boring," Nami said, crossing her arms. "Medics don't get in on the action!"

"I don't want to hurt anybody."

"Then how are you supposed to be a ninja? Yeesh…" Kyoko said.

Midori just shrugged.

"Well _I'm _going to train my ninjutsu," Nami said.

"How come?" Kyoko asked.

"Because I'm already awesome at taijutsu."

"…Of course…" Kyoko said, sweat dropping.

"I can hear the sarcasm in your voice." Nami shot a glare at Kyoko. "Think you can beat me with your style?"

"Which is…?" Midori said.

"I'll be a senbon mistress!" Kyoko declared, holding up several senbon between her fingers. "They're slow and painful! I like it."

"Tch. Just as long as you don't stab yourself," Nami scoffed.

"I will not!"

"You won't win anything by just tossing needles around, you know!"

"What do _you _know?!"

"EVERYTHING!"

"I beg to differ!"

Midori sighed as her teammates quarreled. She sunk down and hid her face in the scroll. Then she felt something. She stood up and said, "Who's there?"

Kyoko and Nami stopped and looked around.

Nami took out a kunai and Kyoko held her needles at ready.

Marieke appeared.

"Sensei!" the girls exclaimed.

"What're you doing here?" Kyoko questioned.

"What did you hear?" Nami demanded.

"How long were you there?" Midori asked.

"One at a time," Marieke said. "First of all…I wanted to reconsider disowning you."

The girls were silent.

"Let me tell you girls a story," Marieke said, sitting down cross-legged on the grass and motioning for the girls to do the same. "Years ago, kunoichi were scarce; scarcer than they are now. In my old country there about two percent of the shinobi population were kunoichi. I was one of them. I wanted to prove to everyone that there should be more kunoichi in the world. My sensei was a male who trained me just as hard as the other two males on my team. He trained us in taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu. I found that I wasn't above average in any of them. Then, I decided to run away."

"Run away?" Midori repeated.

"Yes. I traveled from village to village, seeking out my strength. My sensei's training was too intense for me, I admit. I had trouble keeping up with my teammates. When I was fifteen, a jounin called me over, claiming that he had seen me before. It was true, for I had come across the same villages twice now. He asked me what I was doing and I explained to him my dream. He just smiled and handed me a scroll. When I opened it, I found that it was a summoning. The jounin told me that he had lost his students on a mission and he wanted to start over. I agreed to let him train me in the art of summoning.

"He taught me how to summon many animals, for he had several scrolls. I discovered that I had a talent in summoning. I trained with him for five years. Then he died in a battle." Marieke paused and closed her eyes. "I was devastated. For the next seven years, I've continued my travels, claiming many scrolls along the way. Everyone who knew me gave me the nickname 'Summoning Sage'. I've summoned just about everything there is to summon, including people."

"Whoa, that's so cool, sensei!" Kyoko blurted out. "So what you're saying is that you achieved your dream?"

"No."

"What?"

"You would think that I did, but I haven't in a way. The truth is I never really felt as if I achieved my dream and I still haven't. So I continue to try to fulfill it…through my students."

"Then why did you disown us?" Nami asked, though not in a demanding tone.

"At first I was happy of my good luck that I would have three girls on my team," Marieke said. "But when I saw how meager you girls were…I didn't think you could take the training. That was wrong. I am very sorry."

"So…you're going to train us again?" Midori asked hopefully.

Marieke nodded, smiling vaguely behind her mask. "That's right."

The girls' faces brightened.

"That's great, sensei!" Kyoko said happily.

"That means we can continue training!" Midori smiled.

"Continue? We didn't even start!" Nami pointed out.

"What are you going to have us do first?" Kyoko asked eagerly.

"Well…I heard what you three wanted to train as before…" Marieke said thoughtfully.

"You mean you're going to help me with medical ninjutsu?" Midori asked, surprised.

"Nope! We're going to train you on tracking skills. It took forever for you to notice me," Marieke said.

DO'H.

_

* * *

_

Yes, Marieke-sensei is like Kakashi, isn't she? I'm really amused, actually. Her character came off of the idea of Kakashi, which is pretty obvious. Then when my friends and I went to camp we had this counselor named "Marieke". Although it isn't Japanese, we loved that name and it stuck with our sensei. I guess her character hadn't really developed into an actual personality that wasn't Mary Sue-ish until now. Funny how these things work.

Anyway, R&R please! And don't forget to tune in for Nami's chapters!

-HM


	6. YOSH! A Dangerous Mission!

OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! SOMEONE OTHER THAN MY FRIENDS ARE READING WHAT I TYPE! (oops better turn off the caps lock) Sorry about that! I'm just really, really, really, EXCITED about this! As you might now the character Nami is based on me, and no none of her personality was changed or strength I am pretty strong for my age! GO ME! 

I would like to say this is one of my first actual creation I really finished! I have so much stories and have never finished them! It's hard! I do know appreciate the art of a writer now!

Also now I would like to point out I will take flames as well, with POINTERS! All of those who give flames with pointers are very GOOD people. If you think it's bad give me POINTERS! You know who you are. So all who think this story is horrible and give me a flame without POINTERS! Let's just say you don't want to know what would happen next!

But to all of those appreciative readers and writers! All I have to say now is: ENJOY!

Midori: Well isn't that nice? Anyway, all my lovely reviewers, be nice and as Nami said, enjoy! Oh, and one more thing. This story won't be updated unless a sufficient ammount of reviews come in. So if you're reading it (ahem, or favorited/story alerted) then PLEASE review. Thank you.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

"What are your positions from the target?" Marieke sensei asked in her walkie talkie. 

"Two meters," Midori answered with the two other girls behind a tree.

"Go for it…now!" Marieke sensei ordered.

Nami, Midori and Kyoko all leapt to the target. Kyoko was the first to reach it and grabbed it.

"Stay dog! We need to take you back to your owner!" Kyoko cried.

"Target captured," Nami told Marieke.

"Well done."

--------------------

Marieke and her students went back and returned the dog back to owner. She was a really fat old woman who was the twin of the other fat lady who had her cat go missing.

"Oh Mr. Snuggles that was very bad of you to run away," the woman said.

"I wonder if she knows that dog is a girl," Nami joked. The other two girls held back the laughter. Chuckle, chuckle.

"Good job girls, now let's see our next mission. Baby-sit a bird, find a missing ramen box," the Hokage was interrupted by someone.

"What? Those missions are so dumb, I want a real mission!" Nami demanded.

"Yeah!" Kyoko agreed.

"Shut up you guys!" Midori whispered.

"You can't have a real mission yet, you're still genin," Iruka said. _Why did kids these days always want to shorten their life span?_

"Aw, I wasn't talking to you! You aren't the Hokage, and you can't tell me what to do!" Nami yelled.

"Hey, Nami shut up he's the one who hooked us up with a place to live in before, remember? Baka!" Midori whispered and knocked her upside the head.

"Baka!" Nami felt a jolt of pain in her neck as she was hit to the floor by Marieke-sensei.

"Please ignore her, Iruka. She's a little hot-tempered today. As well as every day of my life..." She added the last part under her breath.

"Hot-tempered?! What?!" Nami started to get up, but Marieke was too quick. She threw down two kunai swiftly and Nami was stuck to the ground.

"Haha!" Kyoko laughed.

"Oh! Shut up!" Nami pouted.

"Alright Nami if you want a real mission that bad," the Hokage sighed with little patience.

"Yes, I want one!" Nami said excitedly.

"Fine but this one is a B-Ranked, almost an A so you have to be professional."

"What is it, Hokage-sama?" Midori asked, unsure if this was a good idea.

"You will transport, and protect two kids from here to the Cha no Kuni (Land of Tea). Do you think you could do that?" the Hokage asked.

"Of course, Hokage don't worry, where are these two kids?" Nami asked as she back flipped, breaking free of the kunai.

"Aw man, I liked it when you were down!" Kyoko whined. _I hate kids,_ Kyoko thought to herself.

"Right here," a little girl said with a cat on her shoulder and a boy about Nami, Midori and Kyoko's age appeared in the doorway.

The little girl was around the age of five and wore a short blue dress that fell to her knees. The tea symbol was sewn on the shoulder of her dress. On her legs were black stockings. Her hair was in two short, black pigtails and her eyes were a bluish and green color. Her cat was black with white paws and a white line ran from the forehead to the nose.

The boy was tall and wore long, brown, plain pants. He had a net shirt under his green shirt and a backpack. He had short and wavy brown hair and his eyes matched his sister's.

"Aw, she's so cute! What's your name?" Kyoko cried, kneeling down.

Nami and Midori sweat dropped.

_I thought she hated kids…_ Nami thought.

_She sure bounces back… _Midori thought.

"My name is Yamada Hanako, and this is my brother, Yamada Sato," Hanako smiled shyly.

"What a pretty name for a pretty girl. What's your cat's name?" Kyoko cooed.

"Neko-chan!"

"What an interesting name," Kyoko said.

"You're cool, I like you," Hanako said, hugging Kyoko.

"Oh brother. Here we go again," Sato muttered.

"Are you certain that this is a good idea, Hokage-sama?" Marieke asked doubtfully. "I mean, you could've just given them a C mission or something..."

"Oh, but I am very sure. Its one of the last B-ranked missions we have today. After all, you did the same level missions at their age."

"Yes, but I was training longer and harder with better teamwork with my teammates."

"Don't worry, Marieke. Hokage-sama knows what he's doing," Iruka said with a smile.

"Yes, we got a mission!" Nami cheered.

_Hm...maybe I _should _have given them a C-ranked...but that bridgebuilder wouldn't have liked it to be protected by a team of girls, _the Hokage thought.

"All right," Marieke sighed. She and the others left for the mission, and on the way there they saw Team Seven outside coming back with the cat. Before they left the building of course they introduced them to Sato and Hanako.

"Hehe. Hey Naruto guess what," Nami whispered slyly as Kyoko was having a glaring contest with Sakura and Midori and Sasuke had "why me?" looks on their faces.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"We got a real mission!" Kyoko piped.

"Really, now have you?" Kakashi said to Marieke.

"Unfortunately…" Marieke sighed.

"Well, you deserve it."

"What? These girls deserve it, but we don't!" Naruto hollered. "If the old man doesn't give us better missions, I'll make him!"

"Yep! Well bye," Nami laughed.

"I hate those girls," Naruto muttered.

-------------------

"Now why did you tell him that?" Midori demanded as soon as they were out of earshot.

"Eh...goes along with the plot," Nami shrugged.

Three ANBU waited outside the gate for Marieke and her team.

"Wait…why do we need ANBU?" Midori asked.

"Because this mission is a little more extreme than you three think," Marieke said. "You didn't think that they would let just the three of you do a B-Ranked alone, did you?"

"Well…"

"Wait, what do you mean it's a little more extreme?" Nami asked.

"I'll tell you some other time, but not now is not the right time. Not in the open," Marieke whispered.

"Man, this must be big," Midori whispered to her friends.

"No kidding...I like it," Nami said sneakily.

The three ANBU bowed honorably towards Marieke and the two kids. Marieke talked to them secretively for a moment.

"They are going to lead us all the way to the outside of this forest, then leave where we will have to fend for ourselves," Marieke told the girls. "It shouldn't be hard."

_Finally, we're getting started,_ Kyoko thought as Hanako hooked onto her leg.

_Haha. That's funny. A little girl liking Kyoko…what's next?_ Nami thought to herself.

"What was Marieke sensei talking about?" Midori wondered quietly.

"Okay, everyone ready? Time to go," Marieke announced.

"Hmph. Being protected by a bunch of girls…how shameful," Sato quietly.

Unfortunately for him, the girls had marvelous hearing.

"WHAT!!!!!!!!" Kyoko and Nami screamed as they were held back by two of the ANBU ninja.

"You two give me and Neko-chan a headache," Hanako said putting her hands over her ears.

"Lemme at 'em!" Kyoko shouted.

"I'll show you shameful, buddy!" Nami warned.

"Girls, calm down. This is Yamada Sato. We're protecting him and you have to be kind to him," Marieke said tiredly.

"Geez, not even two minutes into the mission and you guys are about to claw someone's eyes out," Midori said, rolling her eyes.

Sato smirked at the two restrained girls and frowned when Marieke turned around.

"Fine," Nami and Kyoko said as the ANBU ninja let go.

They started outside of the gate and Kyoko lifted Hanako onto her back because she started whining that couldn't walk that far. Neko hopped onto Midori shoulder, much to her discontent.

"…Uh?" Midori said.

"He likes you!" Hanako giggled.

"Come on, Midori, don't you like cats?" Kyoko teased.

"Not that much to tell you the truth."

"Please hold onto Neko-chan for me?" Hanako used her puppy dog eyes.

"Yeah, Midori-chan! Hold Neko-chan for Hanako-chan," Kyoko joined in using her puppy dog eyes as well.

Midori looked at the two girls with an annoyed expression. "Oh fine, I will," Midori sighed.

"Great!" Kyoko and Hanako said together. Kyoko increased the speed of her walking.

"Wow Midori you just keep on getting weaker and weaker with people what's wrong with cha?" Nami asked with a laugh.

"Oh, be quiet. I don't get weaker with people, their eyes just annoy me. And besides…" Midori sighed, rubbing Neko under the chin absentmindedly. "It's not a crime to be nice, now is it?"

"_Sure_. Anyway, it's kind of weird that we need three ANBU for this mission don'tcha think?" Nami said.

"Yeah. I wonder what's so extreme about this mission anyway," Midori asked as she looked around at the three ANBU that surrounded them. One was leading everyone with Marieke at his side, another was on the left side of Sato who paid no attention to anyone and the third ANBU was behind Midori and Nami looking to his left and right every few minutes.

"They're pretty scary, but we can't let them think that we're afraid," Midori said.

"Yeah I'm not scared, just want to know," Nami said with a laugh.

"No kidding!" Midori chuckled.

Meanwhile, Marieke and one of the ANBU ninja were talking almost noiselessly.

"Marieke-san, do you think you can do this by yourself? It's a pretty big mission. You'll have to take care of your students not to mention protect the two other kids," one of the ANBU asked. "And not only from enemies. You're students are very...easily roused."

"Yes, Kuzuo I can do this, don't worry. These girls might seem different, and even worse than Kakashi's team, but they have some skills that no other ninja have," Marieke said looking over her shoulder at the girls.

Kyoko was laughing with Hanako. Midori was still freaking out with Neko on her shoulder, with

Nami was in the back staring at the ground with a grin on her face.

"I can tell."

"So these girls mean a lot to you, huh, Marieke-san?" Kuzuo teased.

"...Yes. I suppose they do," Marieke replied, a warm smile hidden by her mask.  
A few hours later, they were out of the forest and the ANBU disappeared.

In the Trees…

"There they are," a voice said, watching Marieke and her students. "And the ANBU ninja have left."

"Should we tell him that they have come, or attack?" another voice asked.

"Go, and tell the master. I will stay and watch them just in case."

"Right." the person disappeared.

Meanwhile with Marieke and her students…

"This shouldn't be hard. I mean come on! What's gonna happen?" Sato said with a cocky grin on his face. "We don't need bodyguards."

"It's harder than you think, Sato!" Nami said, annoyed. "Missions aren't supposed to be taken lightly, you know! There's danger and we always have to be alert even though we don't look like it!"

"Really?" Sato asked.

"Yeah," Kyoko said. "These missions are important. Danger is everywhere and even though we don't look like it, we're always alert."

"I guess you're right, Kyoko," Sato said.

"What?" Nami said angrily. "I just told you the same thing!"

"Nami, shhhh," Marieke hissed. "There is no reason for you to blow our cover by shouting in vain at our client."

"Yeah, Nami," Sato whispered. "Man, for a ninja, you're pretty loud."

"ARGH!!!!" Nami covered her mouth. _I hate that boy already. What's his problem?_ Nami thought heatedly.

In the Trees…

"This shouldn't be hard at all, indeed!" the person laughed and disappeared.

Marieke and the Students

"Here is where I depart," Marieke

"DEPART!!!!" the girls plus Sato hollered.

"Sh…what happened to being quiet?"

"But…the mission…you can't leave!" Midori said in a quieter tone.

"Don't worry you're almost to Cha no Kuni I just have to make one little stop somewhere and will meet up with you soon," Marieke answered calmly.

"What are we going to do?" Midori asked.

"Sato knows the way, so you won't get lost. Just find the gate and you will meet a man. Sato and Hanako know who he is."

"We do?" Hanako asked, confused.

"Yes, you do. Well good luck, bye! Oh yeah Midori's in charge," Marieke then disappeared in a gust of smoke.

"Oh great. Now I'm left alone with you girls," Sato said, annoyed.

"You know what...shut up!" Nami said.

"Oh, good come back," Sato said, smirking. "I'm shaking in my boots."

"Argh! YOU—" Nami was restrained by Midori.

"Well you heard sensei. I'm in charge so you have to do as I say," Midori said confidently as she let go of the angry Nami. She turned to Sato. "Sato-san, please lead the way. And you," she turned back to Nami. "Try _not _to strangle our client. You're seriously acting like a baby."

Forty minutes later they came to the entrance of one of the islands of the Cha no Kuni.

"We're almost there!" Hanako squealed with joy, her cat showed the same expression of happiness and jumping up and down on Midori's shoulder, making her feeling uncomfortable.

"Looks like it," Midori said as they came to a bridge they saw a man in front of it.

"Who's that dude?" Nami asked.

"Kenji!" Hanako leaped frivolously off of Kyoko and jumped into the man's arms.

"Aw, Hanako-sama, so good to see you! Hello there, Sato-sama," Kenji said cheerfully.

"Hi," Sato said, shaking Kenji's hand.

"I'm happy to see you two still here. I'm so sorry about your parents once again," Kenji said, a sad smile on his face.

"Yes, we are too," Sato said quietly.  
The girls looked at them, a bit puzzled. What were they talking about?

"So…who are you and why are you here?" Kyoko asked.

"I am Fukuda Kenji and I am Hanako's and Sato's caretaker. Their parent's took me in when they found me, an orphan, and this is how I repay them. By taking care of their children, when...well, when they're time had passed," Kenji answered.

"That's so kind of you, Kenji-san. My name is Hikari Midori and these are my teammates, Kawa Nami and Shimizu Kyoko. We're the escorts of Hanako-san and Sato-san," Midori said politely.  
"It's very nice to meet you girls. Come, let's get inside. It's quite cold out here," Kenji said kindheartedly.

"Can I have some Jasmine Tea?" Hanako asked sweetly.

"You can have as much Jasmine Tea as you wish!" Kenji led the girls and Sato to the Yamada household.

"This place is so interesting in a way," Midori said to Kyoko.

"No doubt," Kyoko answered back. They saw people bowing to Sato and Hanako as they passed them. Not bowing on their hands and knees to smell the dirt, but a pleasant bow to show respect.

"Why are they bowing their heads to them?" Nami asked.

"Why wouldn't they bow to their future leaders?" Kenji said with a small laugh.

"Leaders? What?" Nami asked in confusion.

"I suppose that explains why Kenji-san called them 'sama', but I don't understand…" Midori said with a perplexed look, trying to figure out what was going on.

"You mean your sensei didn't tell you?" Kenji asked in amazement.

"All she told us is that she would tell us more about this mission later." Nami said.

"Oh…Forget what I said. I will tell you when your sensei gets back and if she says it's alright for you and your friends to know, I'll tell you," Kenji walked faster next to Hanako and Sato. Soon, they were at the home. The house was not extremely big, but bigger than everyone else's and was brown with a green roof. The door was opened by one old man with more wrinkles than strands of hair.

"Welcome home Yamada Sato-sama and Yamada Hanako-sama. We've missed you," the man said.

They didn't reply, but bowed their heads and kept walking.

_How weird,_ Nami thought to herself.

When they all went into the dining room, they were served by two other servants. There was a young woman with black hair and a man. They were wearing the same clothes, white. They bowed to Sato and Hanako when they entered and served them first, of course. Hanako's favorite was served: Jasmine Tea.

"Thank you," Midori said courteously.

The woman smiled back.

"Yeah tea! I've waited for this for a long time," Hanako cheered, clapping her hands.

"Your cookies will be coming soon Hanako-sama," one of the ladies said willingly.

"Okay," Hanako said as she took her first sip and stopped with her eyes closed as if she was savoring it.

"You have a beautiful house," Kyoko remarked.

"Thank you. It has been here for many years," Sato said. His mind seemed to be on something else, for his voice was distant.

After the next half hour passed by, tea was gulped and cookies were stuffed down throats...well mostly Hanako's and Kyoko's. It was nearly nightfall and Hanako was accompanied to her room for bed by one of the servants. She was the same one who told her about the cookies.

"Come on Neko-chan," Hanako yawned sleepily.

"Meow," Neko came from under the table and jumped onto Hanako's shoulder.

"Well I'm going to retire now. Goodnight ladies, Kenji, Nami," Sato bowed and left.

"What does he mean ladies and than say my name last?" Nami was holding in her temper and strangulating her poor napkin.

"Deep breath Nami. Count to ten," Midori sighed jadedly. "Sato really isn't that bad."  
Nami took some deep breaths of air and started counting. "One, two, three, four..." Nami ended soon later.

"You must be tired? I will show you your room. Come follow me," Kenji smiled, amused. "Here you are." Kenji led them to a door and opened the slider.

"Thanks," Midori said.

"Well, I should let you have your rest. Goodnight," Kenji closed the door and left.

"Where are our bags?" Kyoko panicked.

"At your knee. Baka," Nami told her.

"Oh. Sorry I guess having a real mission kind of got to me," Kyoko smiled when Nami and Midori just looked at her strangely.

The girls slipped into their PJ's and got into their separate beds which consisted of mats on the floor. Can someone say back problems in the morning?

"Goodnight," Midori said blowing out the candle that lit the room.

"Goodnight," Nami and Kyoko replied back.

Ten seconds later...

"Pillow fight!" Nami yelled as she socked Kyoko with her pillow.

"Ah! What are you doing? Come back here I'm going to so get you back for that!" Kyoko screamed as Nami ran for her dear life. She raised her pillow high and started to whack Nami.

"I knew it was too good to be true…to be that silent for that long," Midori sighed as she covered herself with the blanket and put her pillow over her head. "Shut up you two! I'm trying to sleep!"

Nami and Kyoko looked at each other devilishly.

"OW! OW! STOP IT! CUT IT OUT!"

Outside of the house…

"This is what we're up against? Three little girls who don't know the first thing about the ways of a shinobi?" a female laughed, her mouth twisted into an evil smile when she saw the two girl's shadow through the paper-like door.

"Yes, I know. Quite sad isn't it? It shouldn't take that long to take care of them!" the male smirked.

"We will first attack tomorrow in the mid-afternoon. Follow their movement. You know what to do from there," an old man said with a bad back. He held himself up with a cane, eyes as black as the sky and a sinister smirk with who-knows-what on his mind. He was of a medium size, but not small.

"Right, master!" the two others bowed and disappeared.

"This is going to be a little too easy!" the old man laughed and walked away.

* * *

R&R please! 

-KN

-HM


	7. Kuchiyose no Jutsu and Teamwork

HI EVERYONE! Thanks for all the great reviews! SCRATCH THAT! What reviews? We only got 3! Come on people it doesn't take that long to read a chapter and than review, but to all of those who did review you deserve to read this chapter! This time I will let it go to you non-reviewers. If this happens next week though, I will be very, VERY disappointed! T.T

Disclaimer: Nami and Midori do not own Naruto.

* * *

The next day… 

"Ah, morning! How lovely it is!" Kyoko sang after her ten minute sleep from last night…or…early morning.

Kyoko looked around and saw no sight of Nami or Midori. She was couldn't care less whether

Nami was gone, but was worried for her true friend, Midori. Kyoko got her clothes on as fast as she could and went to search.

"Where are you Midori-chan! Nami!" Kyoko yelled and got up as quickly as she could. She ran into the room where they had tea, though they weren't there. Howver, she was stopped by the sound of laughter.

"What was that?" Kyoko asked herself. She went outside the door and saw Hanako laughing while playing with Neko. Nami and Midori were sitting on the patio outside.

"Look who finally decided to get up," Midori teased as she looked up.

"Hello, have a good night sleep?" Nami asked with a grin.

"… Guess? Hey is Marieke-sensei here yet?" Kyoko asked, sitting next to Midori.

"Neko-chan come back!" Hanako said running around a corner.

"I'll go follow her," Nami got up and jogged around the corner as well.

"No, she hasn't yet. She should be back today though," Midori answered.

"I see." Kyoko said and they were in silence.

Nami and Hanako with Neko

"Neko come back!" Hanako yelled playfully. Neko ran under a bush.

"That's it come a little bit closer…" the girl said quietly with a treat in her hand.

"Neko? Come back…" Hanako said with grief.

Nami saw something move in the bush. "Hanako wait!" Nami ordered. Hanako ignored her order and stuck her hand in the bush.

"Got ya!" the girl said and pulled Hanako away they disappeared.

Nami heard Hanako's shriek muffle.

"Let her go!" Nami ordered.

"What will you do if I don't?" the girl asked with a laugh.

"Let her GO!" Nami yelled furiously with her hands in front of her, ready for battle.

Midori and Kyoko

"Did you hear something?" Midori asked.

"I think so?" Kyoko said.

"Where's Nami and Hanako?" Midori asked suddenly. There was fear in her eyes. "Do you think…something happened to them?"

Kyoko and Midori shot up and ran around the corner to see Nami and a girl they've never seen in their lives holding Hanako hostage. The girl was about the age of fourteen. Her hair was in one crazy ponytail to the side, black with highlights that were blue in front of her eyes. She had black eyes, and a headband with the sign of a bird. She had on a mini skirt that was purple, with fish nets down to her knees on both sides and had black shoes on. She had on two layers of shirts on; first she had on a long purple shirt that went to her elbows and a black tube top over that.

"Nami what did you do?" Midori exclaimed.

"Nothing!" Nami said innocently.

"Haha. You call yourselves ninja." the girl laughed. "You're just two kids and a strict mother!"

"And who are you?" Kyoko demanded.

"I am Miki Setsuko from the Land of the Birds. And you, my dears, are dead meat," Setsuko said, as she ran after Kyoko with Hanako still in her hands.

"Uh no…I'm Kawa Nami, and these are my friends Midori and Kyoko!" Nami yelled as she ran into Setsuko before she could get to Kyoko. Setsuko dropped Hanako on the ground and she slide a couple of feet away.

"Hey she was so mine!" Kyoko yelled Nami and Setsuko ignored her.

"Dude! Why did you just tell her our names?" Midori said, slapping her forehead.  
Setsuko laughed. "Some ninja! You want to fight me? Well than you've already made the first move! Now it's mine, isn't it?" Setsuko and Nami had their hands locked and seemed to be competing on who would fall.

Midori ran to Hanako's side. "Hanako! Take Neko-chan and get inside!" _There may be more ninja other than Setsuko, I'm sure of it. _"Come with me Hanako and be silent," Midori ordered.

"You're a very stubborn one, aren't you? Your name again?" Setsuko asked tauntingly.

Nami just had her eyes fixed on the tree behind her and we pushing as hard as she could.

"Your eyes are filled of rage. Come on, don't you want to make a move before I do, like I said?"

"ARGH!" Nami yelled and pushed Setsuko all the way to the tree, she was slammed down.

"It's Nami and don't forget it this time!" Nami said victoriously while keeping her balance.

"What? I wanted to do that! Or something like that!" Kyoko yelled as Nami almost tipped over.

"You know Nami you can't just do something like that! I mean I totally had her! Stop hogging all the glory and—" Kyoko yelled as Nami passed out.

"Nami? Nami are you listening to me?" Kyoko shouted. She started to shake her teammate furiously. "NAMI! Look at me when I'm shouting at you!"  
"I better come back with Taro…" Setsuko said to herself as she got up. Holding onto her shoulder, she disappeared.

"These girls…are not to be toyed with lightly."

Ten minutes later…

"Nami? Nami are you ok?" Midori asked shaking her.

"I already tried that," Kyoko said.

"Not helping," Midori sighed.

"Uh…? Where am I? Ah! Where is she! Is Hanako alright?" Nami jumped up from her sleep. She had a bandage over her face and some more bandages over her shoulders.

"She's gone! And yes, Hanako is alright... just a scratch," Marieke answered.

"What? Were did you come from? Ow my head!" Nami fell back on the floor.

"She came right after you fainted." Kyoko explained.

"Why did I faint? I've done that move before," Nami asked, putting her hand over her forehead.

"We don't know," Midori answered.

"You just need some more training," Marieke smiled.

"Will I be well soon?" Nami asked.

"Oh yes, you'll be well soon. Not too long. Maybe you'll even be up and running by tomorrow!" Marieke answered.

"Aw man you mean that she'll be better tomorrow?" Kyoko asked with a little tear in her eye.

"Be quite baka." Nami ordered.

"What?" Kyoko snapped. "You want to go?"

"Bring it!" Nami jumped up in fighting stance.

"You know what tomorrow when you're better, Kyoko and you are going to do some special training tomorrow, after your regular training. Now get some rest," Marieke disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Thanks a lot!" Nami fell in her bed.

"What!" Kyoko asked in rage.

"Kyoko be quiet for once, will you? I don't know how I live with you guys…Nami needs her rest and frankly, so do I!" Midori sighed.

"Yes, Nami needs her sleep!" Nami repeated.

"Oh yeah right!" Kyoko threw a pillow at her.

"Ouch!"

A couple of minutes later

"Hey Midori, Kyoko you guys up?" Nami whispered.

"Uh?" Kyoko asked.

"What?" Midori said.

"Why do you think we were attacked?" Nami turned around and placed her hands under her chin.

"Maybe that's why this mission is a B mission. We knew we might get attacked…but I wonder why? I suppose Sato and Hanako are more important than we thought," Midori answered back.

"Maybe we should ask Marieke-sensei tomorrow," Kyoko suggested.

"Good idea, we need to rest up for tomorrow you guys so time for bed. Goodnight," Midori said.

"Goodnight," Nami and Kyoko replied.

The next day…

"Where is she?" Kyoko asked annoyed.

"We've been waiting for only ten minutes. Chill down," Nami said sitting on the ground in the little open space this island had to offer for training, with Midori standing to the left of Kyoko, her arms were crossed silent. Kyoko had her hands above her eyes to see if she could see any trace of their sensei that was late.

"Good morning did you all get goodnight's rest?" Marieke popped out of nowhere behind Kyoko.

"You're late! We have a question for you as well!" Kyoko asked.

"I know. I know you want to know why you guys were attacked yesterday. Well, I _did _tell you this mission _is_ extreme," Marieke told the three.

"Well yeah, but that was the only thing you said about this mission!" Nami said with a little laugh.

"I know I haven't been fair to you guys," Marieke said.

"You got that right!" Kyoko said.

"I promise everything will be explained later tonight with Hanako and Sato. It's about them so it would be good for them to tell you guys," Marieke continued. "Now how about training? I'm going to teach you guys something."

"Finally!" Kyoko and Nami chinned.

_Finally, _Midori thought.

"I'm going to teach you guys how to release your animal."

"What?!" the two girls were confused.

"Remember, sensei's a summoning specialist," Midori said obviously.

"Oh," Kyoko and Nami said together.

"Ok, you know what I mean when I say release your animal right?"

"Well yeah of course we do, but don't we need three different contracts for the each of us?" Midori pointed out.

"Good question, Midori. Well that was the reason why I left you guys, so I could get these." Marieke put her hands together and out popped millions of scrolls…ok there weren't 'millions'. Some were big and some were small and there was a lot.

"Wow!" Kyoko said with awe.

"So who's first?"

"Oh me, me, me, oh pick me!" Kyoko pleaded.

"Ok, Kyoko what do you want?" Marieke asked as she placed all the scrolls in front of her.

"There's so much to choose from! I think I want this..." Kyoko was interrupted from Nami who took the scroll that she WANTED.

"I like this one," Nami said with a grin.

"Hey, I get to choose first and I wanted that one!" Kyoko said angrily.

"Well to bad, I guess you weren't fast enough to get what you wanted."

"NAMI!!!!!!!!" Kyoko was about to stab her or something like that with a kunai when she was stopped by Marieke.

"Now, now I don't want to train you guys if you act like this," Marieke had Kyoko in a headlock with her right hand and put her finger in front of Nami's face.

"Here you go I don't want it anyways if you want it!" Nami threw the scroll into Kyoko's free hand.

"Yeah!!! I get the woof!" Kyoko smiled.

"Wolf! You get the wolf!" Nami corrected.

"Oh whatever!" Kyoko stuck her tongue.

"Ok, Kyoko are you ready to sign the scroll?" Marieke asked.

"Yes, I am." Kyoko was really serious.

"Alright, write your name in blood with your finger prints below it, and summon your animal with the hand that you wrote your name with. I'll show you the hand signs to summon your animal when Nami and Midori have picked an animal as well."

"Ok," Kyoko slightly bit her thumb and wrote her name on the scroll with her finger prints below like she was instructed.

"Alright who's next?"

"Midori can go, I still don't know what I want to be, yet," Nami suggested.

"No, that's ok I don't want to yet, Nami should go first."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah go ahead. There are tons, after all."

"Alright," Nami walked over to the scrolls and looked at everyone with great detail. There was a toad scroll, snake scroll, boar scroll, snail scroll, with many others, but the one that stood out to Nami was red with a blue design. It was the fox scroll.

"Do you see any that you like?" Marieke asked.

"I think I'll take this one," Nami pointed to the fox scroll.

"I see, well just do the same thing that Kyoko did and wait for further instructions."

When Marieke saw Nami open the scroll she thought, _I wonder if she knows? She's just like him._

"Alright Midori you're the last one left. Which animal do you like?"

"I dunno, I'll just look," Midori got up and saw yet another scroll that stood out from the others, for her it was medium sized and was black with white designs. It was the bird scroll.

"I'll take this one," Midori said.

"Interesting pick, well go ahead we'll wait for you."  
Midori bite her thumb and wrote her name, later walked over and stood in between Nami and Kyoko cause they would never stand next to each other no matter WHAT!

"Alright well let's get to releasing something," Marieke asked.

"Yay!" Kyoko and Nami applauded.

After Kyoko and Nami chilled down from excitement, Marieke finally told them what to do, and the words.

"Who wants to go first?" Marieke asked.

Everyone was silent.

"Fine. I guess I will!" Midori said as she got up with a sigh.

"Let's go MIDORI!" Kyoko cheered.

"YAHOOOOO! Midori!" Nami screamed.

"WHAT?! Why did you say Yahoo?"

"Why did you say 'Let's go' huh?" Nami shrank.

Marieke showed the girls the hand signs and said, "These are the hand signs. You perform them, then say 'Kuchiyose no Jutsu'."

"Here goes nothing..." Midori said and landed her hand on the ground. Smoke shot out everywhere. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

"This is so awesome!!!" Kyoko yelled.

"You got that right!" Nami agreed.

_Please, please come out right,_ Midori prayed.

"What happened?" Kyoko asked.

Giggle, Giggle, Giggle

"What the?" Midori looked at what came out. Instead of a bird, there sat lifelessly…an egg?

"Heheh." Nami was holding back the laughter with a hand over her mouth and another hand on her stomach.

"That's…nice?" Kyoko moved her eyebrows to the left than right.

"Good try Midori," Marieke said.

"That's terrible…" Midori said, staring at the egg sadly.

"Uh, food!" Nami said with a pan with some sticks under it. Nami took the egg and was about to crack it when.

"What do you think you're doing?" Kyoko asked.

"What?"

"What do you think she's talking about?" Midori demanded, snatching the egg away. "There's a bird in there!"

"Oh...um I was hungry and...well um..." Nami was stared down by everyone. "Oh fine…"

"Alright who's next?"

"Me!" Kyoko yelled.

"Don't mess up. This is an wolf and if you mess up who knows what will appear," Nami mocked.

"Hahah. You're so funny Nami."

"I know!" Nami said.

Kyoko shook her head and started with the Kuchiyose no Jutsu.  
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Kyoko yelled. Smoke fell once more and everyone was ready for the big reveal.

"OMG!" Kyoko yelled.

"What?" Midori said.

"I did it!" Kyoko yelled.

"No way!" Nami said surprised.

"Yes, way!" Kyoko pointed to a little pup.

"That's great Kyoko, you did great for a first try." Marieke smiled.

"Thank you."

"Hey is it alive?" Nami asked slyly.

"I...dunno. I'll check," Kyoko said.

"OMG!! It's not breathing or moving, I KILLED IT!!!" Kyoko yelled.

"Oh no…here comes the fireworks," Midori said.

"Calm down, calm down Kyoko." Marieke tried to calm down the worried girl.

"I can't! I killed an innocent animal!" Kyoko yelled. Behind her Nami simply and calmly got up and walked over to Kyoko with a kunai in her right hand. She picked up the little pup and held it her left hand.

"Hey? What are you doing Na...?" Kyoko was stopped by a ripping sound. Nami had stabbed the little pup with the kunai.

"WTF? WHY'D YA DO THAT FOR?" Kyoko screamed.

"Look," Nami protested.

"Uh?" Kyoko said.

"Oh…now I see," Midori said.

"It's...not real?" Kyoko asked.

"Yes, Kyoko you released a stuffed animal," Nami said.

"Oh man!" Kyoko whined.

"That's okay you can try again, right after Nami!" Marieke said. "It happens sometimes if your chakra is too weak. Animals replace themselves with items. In your case, it was a stuffed animal. You're turn, Nami."

"Oh joy!" Nami cheered.

"This is gonna be good," Kyoko whispered to Midori.

"Here's goes nothing!" Nami bit her thumb and hit the ground with it. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Nami screamed.

"What happened this time?" Kyoko said.

"I wonder…" Midori said.

"Oh man what the heck is this?" Nami asked as the smoke cleared up and she, sensei and her teammates finally saw the object she had released. It was just a tail that was moving up and down.

"That is...?" Kyoko said.

"Interesting." Midori finished.

"No I was going to say weird." Kyoko corrected.

"Well at least you tried Nami." Marieke said.

"Dude that's just disgusting," Nami turned away from the tail that was coming or feeling closer, it finally disappeared in smoke.

"Yeah," Midori and Kyoko nodded.

"So who wants to try one more time?" Marieke asked.

"I do." Kyoko said.

"Of course." Nami said.

"Oh boy…" Midori sighed.

Later through the day the girls went through training and breaks looking over Hanako and her cat along with her annoying brother, Sato. They first went a little more with training and there were some interesting sights of what the three ninja came up with. There was a mutated wolf it was missing an eye and a leg and other weird things that appeared. Let's just say that if you heard the other interesting objects and things that appeared you would be a little uh... feel a little...uh how do I say this...you'll just vomit unless you like things like that. After a couple of hours of training with it almost at sun down, the three ninja were finally done.

"Alright training's over you can go and have you're lunch."

"A real late lunch actually. Don't they call it dinner?" Nami whispered to her friends.

"Are you sure Marieke-sensei?" Midori asked.

"Yes, you've guys have done better with your chakra control than I thought. I guess I won't have to do the next step today. You can go back."

"All right, bye," the girls started to walk away when.

_Please forget about the special training,_ both Nami and Kyoko thought.  
"I'm not finished with you, Nami, Kyoko come back here. You didn't think I'd forget you're special training did you?"

"Of course not!" Nami smiled.

"We just forgot ourselves about the whole thing," Kyoko said.

"Yeah see we're the BEST of FRIENDS now. We don't need any special training," Nami smiled as she and Kyoko faked hugged.

"I see... well then I guess you two could hug for the rest of the day. If you're that good of friends."  
"Ew, get away from me, I don't like you like that, Kyoko!" Nami said as she pushed Kyoko to the ground.

"What? It was your idea last night." Kyoko was mad at her even more.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Nami said.

"Why I'm gonna..."

"See this is why you two need some special training, Marieke-sensei style." Marieke said.

"Why me? I'm fine until little miss short tempered psycho over here opens her BIG mouth." Nami said innocently said pointing her thumb at her.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?" Kyoko asked getting up in Nami's face.

"You heard me." Nami answered back.

"I dare you to say it again." Kyoko said.

"Girl, you are up in my grill space please...back up." Nami said pushing Kyoko backwards.

"Oh I'm sorry, Nami." Kyoko backed up.

"It's ok." Nami remarked back.

"Hey! Wait a sec, why do I have to apologize?" Kyoko yelled

_This is going to take a little longer than I thought_, Marieke thought letting out some air of stress.

"Shut up."

"No, you shut up."

"I told you first."

"I..."

"HATE YOU!?" Kyoko and Nami said at the same time.

"Ha. Black eyed jinx, now you can't speak until someone says your name ten times." Nami laughed.

"I HATE YOU! EVEN MORE!" Kyoko muttered under her breathe.

"What was that?"

"Girls, stop it now. Are you going to listen or what?" Marieke asked.

"Yes, Marieke-sensei," the girls said back.

"Good now here's your training." Marieke took out a piece of cloth and wrapped it around Kyoko's eyes so she couldn't see.

"What are we suppose to do with this, sensei? What…no—" Nami asked confused.

"Don't say it…" Kyoko finished in horror.

"Yes, this is a team building activities." Marieke told them both.

"NO!" Nami and Kyoko yelled which could be heard for miles.

Konoha

"Did you hear that?" Iruka asked the Hokage.

"No." the Hokage replied.

"Oh well let's get back to the game." Iruka said.

Marieke and her two frighten students

"Be quite and listen, it's really simple I had to do the same thing when I was younger than you guys. Now listen this is what you two do. Nami you tell Kyoko where to go you'll have to lead her forty meters south from this point. Then it's Kyoko's turn to lead Nami back to the house. I will wait there for you two. You have three hours starting now," Marieke said with a stop clock watch in her hand and continued with her instructions. "Oh there's a catch. If any of you happens to fall, trip or goes the wrong way you have to go back and do five push-ups twenty jumping jacks, fifty high kicks, and do it all over again. If you fail to do this activity, well let's just say that you don't want to know what's in store for you if that comes. Good luck!" Marieke disappeared.

_Oh great my life is trusted in this girl, I'm dead!_ Kyoko thought.

_This is going to be fun!_ Nami thought to herself.

Three minutes later

"Go straight, Kyoko!" Nami said with a laugh held in.

"Ow! Nami that was a tree again, now we have to do this all over again. Not to mention the push ups, jumping jacks, and high kicks," Kyoko said with frustration.

"Sorry. I promise nothing will happen like that again. I promise," Nami crossed her fingers behind her back when she started her high kicks.

Twenty minutes later

"Alright you're almost there, Kyoko! I'm not lying," Nami screamed with joy.

"Finally I'm happy, now it's your turn, Nami!" Kyoko grinned.

"Oh great! Now's it's my turn I'm just waiting for it!" Nami put the blindfold over her eyes and went in the direction that Kyoko told her.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Nami asked putting her hands out in front of herself.

"Yes, I know where you're going!" Kyoko said in front of her with her hands behind her head and her eyes shut.

Ouch.

"Sorry I forgot there was a tree there," Kyoko turned around to see Nami on the floor with her hand on her head.

"Thanks!"

One hour later

"It's almost sunset, we've got to go faster!" Kyoko said.

"Well, if you don't know I'm blind at the moment and can't walk very fast! Maybe I could though if you would tell me where to go!" Nami yelled.

"Hey, don't be mad at me that you have two left feet!" Kyoko yelled back.

"Two left feet! TWO LEFT FEET! I'LL SHOW YOU TWO LEFT FEET!" Nami kicked Kyoko's foot.

"Hey, why did you do that?" Kyoko asked, jumping on her only good right foot.

"Shut up and tell me where to go, now!" Nami ordered.

"Whoa now, someone's really mad…"

"Where do I GO!" Nami yelled.

"Go straight." Kyoko answered back scared.

Nami was in the front for the rest of the way until they finally made it to the house.

"Home, oh sweet home," Kyoko kissed the ground.

"Be quiet, this isn't even our home," Nami said in disgust.

"I knew that!"

"Let's go in." Nami took off her blindfold, entered through one of the doors, where an elderly woman bowed to them and took her shoes from them.

* * *

OMG! WHAT COULD THE MISSION BE ABOUT! HAHA! I know but sadly cannot tell you! Come by next week to read the next chapter of the girls first mission! R&R! 

-KN


	8. The Truth is Revealed

That's a little better? But I would like to see some more reviews! COME ON PEOPLE! TELL OTHERS OF THIS STORY! Thanks for reading this story though! Next chapter YEAH! Alright ENJOY! AND REVIEW!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

"Good evening Kawa Nami-san, and Shimizu Kyoko-san! Your master told me to tell you when you came in to met her and the others in the dinning room," the old woman smiled.

"Alright," Kyoko answered and followed Nami who already took off.

Kyoko and Nami entered in to see Marieke, Midori, and the brother and sister with Kenji talking to one of the servants.

"Whoa! It seems like they were expecting us or something like that," Kyoko whispered over to Nami.

"I know, a little too weird for me," Nami walked over to the table and sat down on the nice cushioned pillow.

"I take it you two finished your training, and just in time too," Marieke said looking at the clock watch. "Twenty minutes to spare." Marieke said.

Kyoko and Nami almost fainted.

"We'd thought you weren't going to finish and I would have to make you do it again," Marieke smiled.

"It was horrific," Nami fell on the table.

"I know. There were too many high kicks we had to do," Kyoko fell on her back.

"Well if you two would just get along maybe, none of this would've have happen." Midori sipped some tea out of a flower designed cup. She smiled, amused. "Maybe another one of those training sessions and you two would be able to take on Lee-kun."

"This is all your fault!" Nami pointed at Midori.  
Midori's tea blurted out of her mouth. "_My_ fault, what are you talking about?" Midori urged with a disbelieving laugh.

"Girls, shut up for a second, will you?" Marieke ordered.

"Yes, sensei," the girls together in fear said.

"Now, Sato-sama and Hanako-sama will you please tell these three girls about this mission they are on?" Kenji asked.

"Fine." Sato sighed.

Nami thought, _Finally_.

"Well, as you see we are very rich in the Land of the Tea, and have many people who adore us. Well there is also an evil being in this land and he is my uncle, Yamada Kunihiko." Sato finished.

"It's always the old guys," Kyoko muttered.

"And uncles," Midori added under her breath.

"My uncle was the eldest in the family, but he wasn't loved as much as my mother, his sister. The reason why was that my mother always hoped for a daughter and they were happy when they found an heir as the first born, but my mother was treasured more than him. She could do other thing's that he couldn't, and was prettier none the fact. He was a jealous child and envious when everything came my mother. When my grandparents were gone, my uncle was sure that he would be the ruler of these two islands, but he was wrong," Sato was almost out of breath so he drank some tea.

_Wow, this sounds a lot like the Hyuuga family,_ Midori thought to herself.

"Go on!" Nami pushed.

"Alright, alright. Geez, girls are so weird and pushy. Anyways where was I again? Oh yeah, when he found out that he wasn't to be ruler of this land, he went mad. He never talked to my mother again and just disappeared from this land." Sato was interrupted by his little sister Hanako.

"Oh, oh let me finish the story!" Hanako pleaded.

"Go on ahead," Kenji encouraged.

"Than after mommy was leader for some time, she was lonely and needed someone and then she met my daddy who was working in a tea shop on the other island, and than they fell in love when they first saw each other, and than they got married, and than they had my brother and than me!" Hanako smiled with joy.

"If you don't mind me asking, why is your uncle after you two and not your mother or father?" Kyoko asked.

"Don't you remember what Kenji told us?" Nami asked in a whisper.

"Think before you ask something like that!" Midori hissed. She turned to the siblings and Kenji. "Forgive my teammate."

"It's fine...our parents were very ill and well…let's just say I'll have to rule the two islands for some time alone until Hanako comes of age. My coronation is soon and when I am leader I can do so much more for my people," Sato's face was filled with sorrow. He stared at his cup of tea emptily.

"Oh," Kyoko said.

"Hanako, how about we go put you to bed?" Kenji said.

"Aw," Hanako got up from her seat and followed Kenji out of the room.

"Come on you can talk with them tomorrow." Kenji smiled.

"So does your uncle have anything to do with this Setsuko girl?" Nami asked.

"Yeah, he has a gang. I guess you could say that was giving us trouble a little while back, and that's why we were in Konoha to be safe from everything," Sato answered.

"Why is she from the Land of the Birds?" Midori asked.

"She is from the Land of the Birds for many reasons. She is a slave for my uncle and she was found around the walls of this island. He took her in, and brainwashed her, well that's what I've heard anyways."

"Is there any other people that you know about, that you could tell us?" Marieke asked.

"Yes, there is a boy who's older that me and he is from the land of the birds as well, but his story is filled with so much horror that no one really knows anything about him. Only that his name is Kono Taro, and he's one heck of a ninja. There are also other people, but they are nothing compared to Taro and Setsuko."

"I see!" Kyoko said.

"So let me get this straight…all we have to do is protect Sato-san until his coronation and than we're done?" Midori asked.

"Basically, yeah," Marieke told her.

"I think this is gonna be fun!" Nami smiled.

"How can you talk like that? This isn't some game you play to see who will fall first!" Sato banged the table with a fist.

"Who said it was, and who asked you to tell me how to play my game! You can't even fight!" Nami shot back.

"Oh yeah, watch then!" Sato flipped backwards, picked his pillow up with his foot and threw it at Nami, who threw a kunai at it with feathers going everywhere.

"Nami! Stop it! Remember where you are!" Midori warned.

"Nami stop or I will take you off this mission!" Marieke ordered as well as Sato and Nami ran outside to continue their fight.

"You missed," Nami laughed.

"You think so." Sato was behind her with a knife like weapon to her neck just under her last hair on her head.

"Alright you got me, a ninja knows when she is defeated." Nami looked to Midori, Kyoko and Marieke who were in shame about what she did.

"I just have one last thing to say," Nami said.

"You're off this mission now, Nami! I wasn't joking when I said stop! You don't listen and you're too reckless!" Marieke held her with her arms.

"Sensei…maybe that's a little too harsh…" Midori said. "Nami may be reckless but—"

"She went too far."

"No, you can't... I...I was just playing around!" Nami looked like she was almost gonna cry.

"You can't do this to me! I've done so much and have come so far," Nami punched Marieke with light taps.

"I'm sorry Nami, but you didn't listen and I can't afford you to be like this if you thoughtlessly attack our client. How can I hope for you to act like a ninja when we're on a mission? You can stay till morning, then I want you back to Konoha!" Marieke let go of Nami.

"Fine." Nami said disappeared.

"Whoa! Do you think she's really sad about the whole thing?" Kyoko asked Midori.

"I dunno, but give her, her time so she can cool off," Midori said hesitantly. She glanced at Sato, but he had left.

"I feel a little bad for her, you know," Kyoko said.

"…Yeah."

The next day

Nami woke up that morning extra early and went outside to think about what she had done and if Marieke-sensei would ever take her back as her student.

_What did I do last night, and why?_ Nami thought to herself. Her eyes were filled with tears that poured down her face and dropped onto the ground beneath her.

"Come along, Kyoko, Midori we have a lot to do today!" Marieke said as she jogged by Nami who quickly wiped away her tears so no one could see she was crying. Midori and Kyoko were following Marieke.

"Do we have to do ten miles?" Kyoko begged.

"Yes, and just for that comment twenty miles."

"Good going, Kyoko!" Midori ran past her.

Nami only waved to friends and then walked to her room and packed everything that she took. It wasn't much, but it took longer because she was still in shock that she couldn't be on the mission any more. Nami walked out of her room when she saw the fox scroll in Marieke's room.

_Maybe I should take it,_ Nami thought.

"I'm off this mission anyways. She won't mind that I have this and teach myself how to do this," Nami tip-toed into Marieke's room, ran out with the scroll, and quickly put it in her bag. When she said her good-byes to the servants as she exited the house she saw Kyoko and Midori being worked to the bone, running up trees. High kicks, low kicks, punches, every kind of attack they've learned, and Nami couldn't help, but wish she was there with them. Marieke didn't look at her and she walked right pass her.

_Wow! She must still be angry at me, but who cares, I'm on my own now, and can do whatever I want now. So what should I do?_ Nami thought as she took one good look back at her friends and walked away.

Training

"Do you think that Nami, will go evil like others have? You know?" Midori joked as they had a thirty-second water break.

"Who knows," Kyoko shrugged and continued. "Everything is up to her now... go back to Konoha or go on the other path and do something else with her life," Kyoko ran back to Marieke.

"How dramatic," Midori smiled half-sadly. _Nami, whatever you do don't be stupid.  
_  
Nami

"This is so weird, I'm alone and have no one to talk to," Nami said out loud to herself.

"I'm starting to miss Midori and Short Tempered Girl, but still... why do I feel a little sad?" Nami said to herself as one tear went down her check.

"Aw, is the little girl crying because she's all alone?" a boy's voice asked.

"Who are you? Where are you? Show yourself!" Nami demanded.

"So many questions, and we don't even know each other's name," the boy jumped in front of her and was about three inches taller. He had white, wavy, short hair, and pale eyes. He also had black like sweat pant's on (N/N: Like Gaara's pants) and a red shirt with his forehead protector over his forehead with the symbol of a bird. "I'll introduce myself first. my name is Kono Taro, and yours?"

"You work for Yamada Kunihiko, don't you?" Nami questioned.

"So, I see you're the girl Setsuko was talking about. You are quite strong for a pretty girl like yourself," Taro tilted up Nami's chin, and wiped the tear that was on her face.

"Why are you crying?" Taro asked.

"Leave me alone! And I am not crying... well not now anyways," Nami pushed his hand off of her chin.

"Aw, I see that you are a bit angry."

"Of course I'm angry! You would be angry too if your sensei just kicked you off the biggest mission you've ever had and won't and probably never teach you again!" Nami yelled. "Sato, this is all his fault! He's the one who made all of this happen!" She looked away.

"So you hate Sato, as do I. How about we make a deal," Taro said.

Nami was surprised of what she heard. Was she going to the bad side?

"I see you're in shock. How about you think about it, and get back to me on it?" Taro walked away.  
Nami thought for a second and turned around. "Hey!" Nami ran to Taro.

"Yeah?" Taro stopped, not turning around.

"What kind of a deal?" Nami asked hesitantly.

Taro smiled.

Marieke and her tired students

"Are we done yet, sensei?" Midori asked on her knees gasping for air.

"Yeah, Marieke-sensei! I mean come on. Are you going hard on us because of...of Nami?" Kyoko asked lying on the ground with her tongue hanging out of the side of her mouth.

"Stop your whining! I thought you wanted to be excellent kunoichi! So go do another two mile run," Marieke ordered in a harsh manner, Midori and Kyoko just looked at her.

"I said GO!" Marieke yelled.

Kyoko and Midori ran off without another word, not like they could say anything anyways because they were so tired.

"I wonder if I was too harsh on, Nami?" Marieke asked herself. "No, I am the sensei and she is the student. She should've listened to me, and she didn't, so she had to pay the price," she reassured herself.

"I just hope she'll be ok at night on the way home. It'll take so long to get there, especially when you forget the way home. Maybe I'll go look for her later tonight and just make sure she's not in a bad condition," Marieke said as she saw the sun hide behind a nearby hill and Kyoko and Midori barely a half mile away from her.

Nami

Nami had followed Taro to a secret hiding center that wasn't that far from the Cha no Kuni. It was really almost like the house that Sato and Hanako lived in, but a little more creeper. It was really big, and when they got through the first door, everything was dark and Nami couldn't see anything.

"Uh...Taro where am I? Taro?" Nami didn't hear a reply.

"I see we have a visitor? Who are you and why have you come to me?" a voice asked sitting in a chair.

"I have come to meet with a man named Kunihiko," Nami replied. She could only see the chair and the desk in front of it, but nothing else.

"Well you've come to the right place. I am Kunihiko," the man turned around in his chair, and lights appeared in front of him to reveal an old man with a light white shirt and blue tie, and brown dress suit and an EVIL chain and gold bob-cat like animal on the top of it. He was surrounded by two familiar people, Setsuko and Taro.

"Master, Nami has come here to ask for a job," Taro told him.

"Aw...I see you seek what we all seek in life, power." Kunihiko had an evil grin on his face.

"Not...really I just want...to show my sensei that I can do anything. Like...like," Nami stuttered.

"Like summon my animal the fox. See?" Nami took out the scroll and showed Kunihiko that she had signed the contract with the foxes.

"You are highly advanced for a girl your age, to be already summoning your animal," Kunihiko stopped and thought up a plan. "I can show you how to summon your animal. Of course in return you'll have to work for me. Do we have a deal?" Kunihiko asked.

"Uh?" Nami was surprised with fear and joy at the same time.

"Master are you serious? About letting this girl, join us?" Setsuko cried.

"Silence, Setsuko!" Kunihiko roared.

Setsuko backed off.

"I don't know…" Nami said tentatively.

"You don't have to. You'll just never learn to summon your animal for the rest of your life. Aw, well never mind, now I see why your sensei didn't want to teach you any more," Kunihiko went back to his seat.

"No, I am not a failure! I'll join you!" Nami said.

"Perfect. Oh and by the way just to make sure you don't think for yourself again, and become rebellious…" Kunihiko did some hand signs and his hands glowed yellow.

"Cursed Enslavement no Jutsu!" Kunihiko yelled as he knocked Nami out on the forehead.

"What? What's happening to me?" Nami saw her clothes change to a different color…a darker color.

"What did you do to me?" Nami yelled.

"You had a deal with me and now you work for me! Aw...but don't worry, you'll get use to it." Kunihiko laughed and walked away with Setsuko and Taro caring for Nami who fainted.

"This isn't good for letting her in here," Setsuko said to Taro.

"Well, you're not the one to argue with Kunihiko. Besides are you sure you're not jealous that she beat you in a fight, huh Setsuko?" Taro argued back.

Later…

"Uh? Where am I?" Nami awoke from her sleep. "Taro, Setsuko? What happened to me?" Nami got up and put her hand on her for head.

"I have an headache."

"You work for Kunihiko now and your name isn't Nami anymore it's Aku. And every time you hear an order from me, Setsuko, or your master Kunihiko you will do as exactly as we say. Do I make myself clear?" Taro said.

"I understand," Nami said in a robot kind of way with her eyes glowing yellow.

"Now, your first mission is to…destroy two girls...Midori and Kyoko. You can not come back until they are destroyed or wounded enough to cease protecting those two little brats. Also there us another mission that you will soon learn of from Kunihiko, of course," Setsuko said.

"Yes," Nami walked away.

"Wait, Kunihiko still has to train you to summon your animal does he not?" Taro stopped Nami in her tracks.

"He's waiting for you. Don't worry it won't take long to summon your animal he is quite the sensei," Setsuko assured.

"I forgot," Nami was lead to another room where Kunihiko was in a different outfit more like the battle kind of outfit.

"I wouldn't have done that," Taro said.

"What are you talking about? Kunihiko never said that we couldn't tell her a mission."

In another room

"Aku are you ready to release your animal?" Kunihiko asked.

"Yes." Nami (Aku) answered.

"Than let us begin." Kunihiko smiled.

Marieke and her students

"You two are done for today. I'll see you again tomorrow," Marieke told her tired students with no air left to breathe.

"Thank YOU!" Kyoko fell on the ground.

"Thank you so much," Midori agreed.

Marieke disappeared and left the two girls there.

"I wonder where she went," Kyoko asked.

"I dunno, but I hope that Nami is alright, it's really dark out here," Midori said.

Marieke

"I don't think I should have done that to her."

"I can't find her and she could be lost. I knew I should've just let her stay and not do anything…

Why didn't I do that?"

Two Hours later

"She must have found her way back to Konoha, I'll look one more time tomorrow just in case." Marieke walked away and turned around one more time.

"Who's there?" Marieke asked. There was no answer.

"I know you're out there. Show yourself," Marieke demanded.

"Maybe I'm overdoing everything and I'm starting to see things," Marieke laughed and turned back to the Sato's and Hanako's home.

Behind a tree

_Who is that woman? _A young girl thought as she lurked within the shadows. _Do I know her? Why does she seem so...familiar? _Shaking her head, she disappeared.

* * *

R&R please!

-KN


	9. Betrayal! A Fox Named Noriko

NAAAAA! Sorry for such a late update everyone! My computer is pretty much dying and it takes like an hour to load a page. Nami isn't here to comment right now, but at least SOME of you would miss me, right? Anyway, nothing much to say except PLEASE REVIEW. It seems strange to me that we have seven people who favorited AND story alerted our story and yet we only get about four or five reviews...

To those who DO review, you have our undying gratitude. Enjoy Nami's chapters! I'll be coming back again soon!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

The next Day

Midori and Kyoko were woken by little Hanako and Neko.

"Shhh," Hanako told Neko, Neko just looked at her.

"Ok, you go to Midori-neechan and I'll go to Kyoko-neechan!" Hanako whispered as she tip-toed over to Kyoko.

"Ok, now!" Hanako yelled as she jumped on Kyoko's stomach and Neko licked Midori's face.

"AH!!!!! Help me!" Kyoko whined.

"Help you?! Help me!" Midori shouted.

"Haha! Good morning Kyoko-neechan and Midori-neechan. Hey, where is your other friend? What was her name...oh yeah Nami, where did she go?" Hanako asked as Kyoko sat up.

"Uh?" Kyoko looked at Midori.

"Nami, has gone on a trip," Midori said.

"Oh. Will she come back soon?" Hanako asked.

"We dunno," Kyoko answered.

"Oh?" Hanako was surprise to hear this, but didn't care that much because of her age. "Let's go play!" Hanako laughed and ran out of the room with Neko.

"I wonder what goes through a five year olds mind these days?" Midori asked.

"Probably kittens and all that little kid stuff that little kids like," Kyoko answered as she got up and went to get dressed.

"Yeah, kids are pretty crazy these days…" Midori said distantly.

"Hey you're not too worried about Nami still are you?" Kyoko laughed at Midori.

"Well excuse me for being kind and caring," Midori pointed out.

"You got a point there." Kyoko agreed nodding her head.

Nami (Aku)

Nami sat in a room alone, and it was dark; all you could see were very little parts of the room. She sat with her legs crossed and her hands on top of her knees, a new weapon in her hands. It was the sai. It had silver on the top and some Japanese words written on them, it said "Flame", and "Fox" on the sides. She got up and an object came after her. She pulled her sai in front of it and sand came pouring out. It was a sand bag. More and more came after her and it was training time. Aku was thinking of how she got these weapons of hers.

(Flashback)

"Tell, Aku to come here. I want to talk to her and give her something," Kunihiko ordered to Setsuko who was in the back beside the door and went to get Nami (Aku). Nami (Aku) came over, obeying her master.

"Yes, Kunihiko-sama?" Nami (Aku) bowed as she came through the paper sliding door. Kunihiko was sitting down on the floor, with his back to Nami (Aku) and Setsuko. He was in a Hakama, the top white and the bottom of his pants black.

"I want to give you something," Kunihiko continued, "Come here." Kunihiko waved to her.  
Nami (Aku) came to his side and asked, "What do you have in your hands?" Nami (Aku) asked.

"It is a gift from me to you," Kunihiko smiled and handed Aku the wrapped gift.

"Thank you." Nami (Aku) bowed and opened the cloth to reveal two sai. The sai were dressed in red cloth on the bottom to give it a special touch and there was two words engraved on the sides they read, "Flame" and "Fox. Aku's eyes lit up with joy.

"What?" Setsuko eyes were filled with rage.

"But why, Kunihiko-sama?" Nami (Aku) asked and continued, "I do not deserve these."

"Let's just say you remind me of my own daughter, who sadly passed away and same with her mother. She was high spirited, and looked a lot like you, Aku. They were hers and I thought they suited you best. Anyways, I think that you could really do some damage with these little weapons, no?" Kunihiko smiled.

"I can't take these," Nami (Aku) protested trying to give them back.

_No, she can't,_ Setsuko thought to herself and kept on going in her head_. She doesn't deserve any of these things that he wants to give her. I mean I've worked for him way longer than this little girl will probably ever!_ Setsuko was about to strangle something.

"No, I think that you should have them! With these you could put a stop too two people that are a threat to me. A boy, Sato, and his sister Hanako from the Land of the Tea! They took the power that was rightfully mine and intend to bring upon evil of this land when I would do nothing but bring peace and nature. I know you will do so much for me, my daughter!" Kunihiko whispered the last sentence in her ear and went to the door.

"It would be my pleasure!" Nami (Aku) smiled.

"Perfect, well I better leave you with these for some practice and come back for some more training on how to summon that animal of yours," Kunihiko left with Setsuko.

Aku looked back and saw them exit out of the room, to leave Nami (Aku) to her work.

"Are you sure that that was such a good idea? Telling her that she's your daughter, when she's not!" Setsuko argued.

"I know just what I'm doing Setsuko do not argue with me. She is more powerful than you. She can almost summon an animal when you don't even know what animal is yours! Don't you dare ever question my plan Setsuko or you will go back where you came from," Kunihiko walked off from her.  
Setsuko was left there and astounded at what she heard from her own, father.

(End Flaskback)

Nami (Aku) Training time

_I will not disappoint you, father!_ Aku thought as she got a hold of two sand bags and wrapped her sai's around them and did a three-sixty in the air, back-kicking another bag.

_I will be the best of the best and destroy all that come my way!_ Aku thought as she high kicked another sand bag and back flipped to the ground. When she got back up she dogged backwards, from two other bags and did a cartwheel, landed on the ground, front flipped back to the front and destroyed the two bags.

_I will make sure you have what is rightfully yours!_ Aku saw her reflection in one of the mirrors in the room and was breathing very hard. She thought for a second, who was she? Where did she come from? Why was she filled with this much rage? Aku trilled one of the sai and threw it across the room and it hit one sand bag with a face of the tea symbol. Everything was over now!

Training for Kyoko and Midori

"Wake up! It's time to summon you animal!" Marieke announced, opening up the curtains.

"Mm…" Midori mumbled.

"No! The sun!" Kyoko yelled and instantly pulled the pillow over her head.

"Come on now are you girls kunoichi or just girls?" Marieke tried.

"I am a KUNOICHI!" Kyoko yelled.

"Yeah!" Midori cheered.

"Alright than give me another two miles!" Marieke ordered.

WHAT?

"Come on you heard me! Chop, Chop," Marieke clapped.

"Aw," Midori and Kyoko got up and went outside for another two mile jog.

"Hehehe. Have fun, girls," Marieke waved.

"I hate RUNNING!" Kyoko yelled to Midori.

"Yes, I know you told me yesterday and the day before that, and the day before that. Let's just finish this so we can get back!" Midori said.

In the Trees

"Those are your enemies, got that? They're not you're friends. They are on the other side not ours. They protect Sato and Hanako," Taro said.

"I understand," Nami (Aku) said.

"Good we strike tomorrow," Taro disappeared.

Nami (Aku) stared down at the two hustling girls blankly.

Kyoko and Midori

"Hey did you hear something?" Kyoko stopped.

"Now that you mention it…" Midori said.

"Someone's here," Kyoko said as she looked around.

There was no response. Then something came through the trees spinning crazy, not stopping Kyoko and Midori couldn't make out what it was.

"We're under attack!" Midori exclaimed as she dodged the weapon.

"I know that weapon!" Kyoko said.

"Are you sure?" Midori asked.

"You're asking a weapon expert, I'm sure," Kyoko reassured. "Show yourself right now. Who ever you are!" she demanded.

"Over there!" Midori pointed in the trees.

In the Trees

_I'm out of here,_ Nami (Aku) thought and disappeared.

Kyoko and Midori

Kyoko and Midori rushed over to see a little wild boar that Kyoko had caught and made angry.

"Ow...ow sorry little thing." Kyoko whined and let go of the boar.

"A boar can't throw something like that. Unless it's a summoned animal…but it isn't, is it?" Midori said.

"I don't this so. Let's go back and show the weapon to Marieke-sensei," Kyoko and Midori went back to the spot where the weapon was. The weapon was gone.

"Where'd it go?!" Midori asked.

"I dunno?" Kyoko and Midori looked everywhere for the weapon but couldn't trace it anywhere.

"We need to tell Marieke right n—" Midori was knocked out by something or someone?

"Midori what hap—" Kyoko was cut off.

"Sorry but I can't let you think that you were attacked today. It was all a dream…" the voice said to them.

"Uh?" Midori said and only saw a little shadow of the figure. "Nami?" Midori fell back down.

"No it's Setsuko," the figure disappeared.

Ten minutes later/ Marieke

"Where are those girls? It doesn't take that long to jog two miles does it? I'll go find them." Marieke went off.

Kyoko and Midori

"Uh? What happened?" Kyoko put her hand on her head.

"I don't know…we've been knocked out by someone or something, but I don't remember anything else," Midori said as she woke up.

"There you girls are. Sleeping on the job I see," Marieke appeared in front of them.

"Sensei!" Kyoko and Midori jumped up.

"I/ We got knocked out!" Kyoko and Midori said.

"I don't want to hear it. I just think you two need more sleep if you're falling asleep on a jog," Marieke said.

"But—"

"I said I don't want to hear it. Come. I want to show you one more time how to summon your animal and I can't waste any more time," Marieke ordered.

"Yes, sensei." the girls followed.

_These girls…what could've happened to them?_ Marieke thought.

Aku

"Are you ready?"

"Yes, my master!" Aku responded as she got up from her bow.

"Perfect. Taro, Setsuko you two know what to do."

Taro and Setsuko nodded and disappeared.

"Now, Aku you are the most powerful out of anyone that I've trained. I've told you the hand signs to summon your animal. You still need a little more help on your chakra though, but we can get around that. Now this is a little thing that I've made up, it's sure to help you summon your animal. Now I will leave you. Your training starts now. Oh, and by the way if you do summon your animal and he or she asks for you name, say Kawa Nami and not Dai Aku." Kunihiko laughed and disappeared.

"Uh?" Aku was left in utter loss.  
Something came through the paper sliding door, it appeared to be a person and it looked like Setsuko. You could see the outside now.

"Let's see just how powerful you really are!" Setsuko smiled, but her outfit was a different color, instead of blue and purple it was black and red. Her eyes were now black with a little bird inside of them it looked.

"What? Setsuko?" Aku dogged from her kick and ran outside.

"Hahaha. Running away, just like your friends," Setsuko muttered as she followed Aku.

"Why are you attacking me?" Aku pleaded as she ran behind a tree.

"Why, are scared of me?" Setsuko ran after her with a new weapon in her hand it was a Numchaku, it was made out of steel, and was glowing red like her outfit soon was. Setsuko threw the weapon and did a couple of hand signs along with words, "Bird Numchaku Entrapment!" It took a hold of Aku and she soon was locked in position. Setsuko looked up, and nodded her head looking up to Taro who was hiding above Aku in a tree.

"What the—?" Aku front flipped from Taro's hand, but was still in the Numchaku's grasped. Aku ran away as fast as she could from Setsuko and Taro.

"Come, come Aku we just want to play!" Setsuko laughed with the serious Taro following behind her.

"I need to get away from them, but I first need to get out of this trap," Aku hid behind one more tree as Setsuko and Taro passed the tree.

"Oh man…what do I do now? Wait... what would Kunihiko-sama tell me to do at this moment?" Aku thought of her training as she hid into a bush.

(Flashback)

"How was that?" Aku asked without any air left.

"You could do better," Kunihiko said.

"Ah!" Aku fell down on the floor.

"Now, Aku I want to tell you one more thing that's really important when you fight."

"Yes, what is it master?" Aku jumped up and sat in front of her master.

"You know when your opponent has a weapon and uses it against you, and you are trapped within it."

"I don't quite follow."

"Let's say your opponent has a weapon you're not familiar with and have no clue on it at all, and this weapon can trap you so you're easier to hit and destroy. Even if you think that's there's no weakness to this weapon there always is one. The weapon is most likely stubborn, if you're stubborn because you're trapped and are really pissed about all of this. Well the only way to break free is to become calm and say the same words your opponent said but you add one more word, 'release'."

"I think I understand now."

(End Flashback)

"That's it I need to become calm."

"There you are!" Setsuko yelled.

"Oh crap!" Aku yelled and was hit by two kunai and locked into a tree.

"Looks like we won the battle, eh Taro?"

"Hn."

"Now Taro don't tell me that you don't like this game anymore. You use to love it with all the other little ninja that thought they were the most "Powerful", that Kunihiko had ever trained."

"Setsuko!" Taro yelled.

"What?" Setsuko stopped.

"Look!" Taro pointed to Aku. She had turned into a log.

"What is it? Kawarimi? How! Why? When?" Setsuko looked around.

"We're not letting her get away! Go find her!" Setsuko yelled with rage. Her hair started to change color this time, to red.

"Fine," Taro ran off.

Aku

"I barely got away!" Aku said as she came to the end of the island where there was a cliff that lead to the sea with very, very, very sharp rocks at the end.

"I see the little girl is lost again," a voice said.

"Huh?"

"There you are! I finally got you now!" Setsuko yelled as she seemed like she had grown and was in a lot of rage.

"I'll teach you to never run away from me again," Setsuko knocked Aku off the cliff to her death.

"Ah!" Aku yelled, but she couldn't get a hold of anything.

Kyoko and Midori

"Alright who wants to be first?" Marieke asked.

"Oh me, me, me!" Kyoko begged.

"Looks like Kyoko does," Midori pointed.

"Alright Kyoko come here," Marieke said.

"Yeah," Kyoko ran to her.

"Here's what to have to do," Marieke said.

"Hi, Midori-neechan," Hanako said with Neko beside her.

"Oh hi Hanako. Shouldn't you still be asleep?" Midori asked as Neko jumped in her lap.

"Yeah, well you guys woke me up. Also Sato went somewhere with Kenji for some materials for the coronation. He won't be back till tomorrow, and it's hard to go back...a...sle..." Hanako fell back asleep beside Midori, with her head on Midori's shoulder.

"So you think you got it, Kyoko?" Marieke asked.

"Draw some blood, yell out the magic words, and draw out some chakra. I totally got it this time," Kyoko was counting with her fingers and continued, "Yep! I got it!"

"It isn't just steps. You must draw out the right amount of chakra, remember. Well, then go right ahead." Marieke backed away.

"Ok, here I go!" Kyoko bit her thumb with some blood coming out.

Aku

_What do I do?_ Aku thought. _Is this the end?_ _No, I remember now!_ Aku bit her thumb with blood coming out as well.

Kyoko and Aku

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Kyoko put her hand on the ground and Aku put her hand in front of her.

"Come forth, wolf!" Smoke scattered everywhere for both Aku and Kyoko.

"Yeah I think I did it!" Kyoko cheered to soon find out she only released a pup.

"Oh!" Kyoko started to cry.

"A doggy!" Hanako woke up from Kyoko's yelling, and was really happy to see another small animal.

Aku

When the smoke disappeared, Aku had her eyes still closed and opened to see she wasn't drowning instead she was on a twenty-foot fox with two large earring's on one ear, a cloak on that had the fire kanji on it and yellow-orange fur, with green eyes.

"Who, who are you?" Aku asked.

"I am Noriko, leader of the foxes and who are you?" Noriko announced.

"I'm, I'm..." Aku remember what Kunihiko said.

(Flashback)

"Oh and by the way if you do release your animal and he or she asks for your name, tell them Kawa Nami and not Dai Aku." Kunihiko smiled and disappeared.

(End Flashback)

"Uh, uh…" Aku was in loss.

"Come on I don't have all day! What is it? Are you so forgetful that you cannot even remember your own name?" Noriko said.

On top of the cliff

"What is that thing?" Setsuko asked.

"She did it, she summoned her animal," Taro said looking down. "And it looks like she summoned the leader."

"You mean that little pest, actually summoned her animal…when I'm clearly stronger than she is?!"

"You never know she could be stronger," Taro walked away.

"Don't you dare say that to me, do you know who I am?"

"A royal pain?" Taro chuckled with his head down.

"Oh I see. I see you like her don't you?" Taro stopped and reappeared in front of Setsuko's face.

"I knew it. I knew you like her, it was your idea to make her join, not hers," Setsuko said.

"Don't you ever say anything like that again. Got that?!" Taro said.

"Or what?" Setsuko smiled.

"You're not worth my time," Taro walked off and didn't turn back.

"You think you're so strong, I'll show you strong, Miss Aku. Maybe a little visit to her friends would help!" Setsuko laughed.

Aku (Nami)

"Tell me you're name!"

"It's Nami, Kawa Nami," Nami (Aku) finally answered.

"Kawa Nami, you're a strong little girl, if you're able to summon me! Why did you summon me?" Noriko yelled. "I was in the middle of something highly important!"

"I was in danger and the only thing that I thought could save me was...uh...you?" Nami (Aku) said. She felt tired, almost completely drained.

"I see well I must leave now."

"But why?" Nami (Aku) asked.

"I'm no of use here, and you are saved like you wanted to be," Noriko walked off in the sea that made waves.

"But we have a contract!" Nami (Aku) said.

"Yes, but that doesn't prove anything. How do I know you're really Kawa Nami. You could be a liar, and when the real Nami summoned me you probably did something to her and now she is nowhere to be found," Noriko declared. "You look too weak to summon me anyway. You're so small and scrawny."

"That is not true! I'm the one who summoned you, so you have to obey me!"

"Oh really?" Noriko smirked.

"I'll prove to you that I'm really Kawa Nami," Nami (Aku) said.

"Alright, if you prove that you are, than I will be at your will," Noriko smiled.

"Ok, so what do you want to know?" Nami (Aku) asked.

"Show me your team," Noriko demanded.

_Oh crap! Where the heck is my team?!_ Nami (Aku) thought. "Alright," Nami (Aku) said aloud.

Kyoko and Midori

"Nice job, Kyoko!" Midori said.

"Shut up! At least I tried!" Kyoko said.

"Hey whoa, that was meant as a compliment!" Midori said, slightly offended.

"I like this wolf it's really cute!" Hanako said.

"Cute! Cute! Nothing cute will get through this world of ninja!" Kyoko said, everyone heard a grumbling sound right after that.

"Calm down Kyoko, you can try again tomorrow. At least you were able to summon _something_ that looks remotely like a wolf. I think it's time for lunch now. You two take Hanako back and make sure she is safe, and have some lunch. After that come back here, it's Midori's turn to summon her animal!" Marieke said.

"Oh, I just can't contain the joy and excitement I'm feeling right now," she sighed. Midori picked up Neko who was on her lap and walked off with Hanako and Kyoko at her side.

"Something…or someone is near," Marieke muttered.  
Marieke walked off, right to the sea and saw a big fox with a girl on its nose.

"Noriko? So Nami, you didn't go back after all. I knew you would do this. But how did you summon the queen of all foxes? That's amazing," Marieke smiled.

Nami (Aku) and Noriko

"I don't really know where my team is though," Nami said.

"Oh, so you really aren't Nami," Noriko said.

"I am NAMI! I'll show it to you!

_This is going to be good!_ Noriko said to herself.

Nami jumped off Noriko's nose and was now on the land.

"Alright I'll be right back! Stay here!" Nami said as she ran off.  
Noriko stood.

"Ah, Marieke. Long time no see," Noriko said.

"It has, hasn't it?" Marieke said with a grin as she came out from behind the tree.

"Why have you come?"

"That is Nami, she's my student, and for a while now she's disappeared and I guess you're the one who found her."

"Ah, and why has she gone missing?"

"She disobeyed me and she paid the price. I sent her back to Konoha and I guess she chose a different road. She took the scroll from me and I guess started practicing with it."

"What a student you have trained for her to know everything."

"Yes, she is. But.."

"Yes?"

"She's different from my other two students."

"How? If memory serves me right you were far different from your teammates as well."

"If Midori or Kyoko were sent to back Konoha most likely they both would go back and not disobey me, but Nami...Nami did and I don't know what I should do about it. If she were to do it again, there may be more dire consequences."

"I think that you should do what you think is right. I'm but a fox and have nothing to do with humans and their flaws."

"I see you still haven't changed your ways." Marieke laughed. "But, I guess I will let her do what she thinks is her way of life, I'm not her mother and thank goodness I'm not. I think I'll give her one more chance and take her back."

"You haven't changed either," Noriko continued. "Go, she's coming back!"

"Good-bye old friend."

Nami came running back with no air left. "I'm back," Nami said taking big clumps of air in.

"You are Kawa Nami and I believe you. Now will you leave me alone!" Noriko started walking off.

"Really?"

"Yes."  
Nami fell on the ground with her eyes closed and a big smile on her face.

"Thanks Noriko," Nami lastly said.

Noriko stopped in her tracks and said back, "You're welcome."

* * *

R&R please!

As for updates, it may help to know I might be updating on Thursdays from now on. The deal is, I usually upload the chapters from my computer, but since its like, ancient history now, I'll be uploading them on a different computer. The thing is, I have to use a different computer (my home computer has Dial-up. Yeah, go ahead and laugh) so I may be a little random with the updates. However, I'll try to keep up the weekly updates...well, weekly. Thank you all! Until next time!

-HM


	10. Two Paths

Thanks for the reviews! WAIT! ONLY 3?

Midori: As you can see, Nami's a little...irritated. The review rate is decreasing, but we're still keeping our end of the deal. Is there anything she can do to make this better? Constructive criticism is appreciated! Enjoy!

IMPORTANT: Two more chapters counting this one until Midori gets back in action!

Disclaimer: We don't own Naruto.

* * *

Sixth Day in the Cha no Kuni and with Nami

"Are you ready my children?" Kunihiko asked.

"Yes, father," the three slaves said. (Aku, Taro and Setsuko)

"Good, I first want one of the future leaders of the Cha no Kuni, I don't care who it is, also if you see that sensei and her two students show no mercy," Kunihiko got up from her chair and looked through one of the windows. Aku and the others were in bowing position with their heads down.

"Sir?" Aku asked.

"Yes, Aku?" Kunihiko said.

"Why now and not earlier or later?" Aku asked.

"The reason of the timing of this plan...is because tomorrow is the coronation and everyone will be rushing here and there. Most won't be able to know they are under attack, you see?" Kunihiko asked.

"Yes, master."

"Alright wait until the right moment," Kunihiko commanded.

"Right," Aku, Setsuko and Taro disappeared.

"This is going to be an interesting," Kunihiko smiled.

Running through the trees

"Alright. Setsuko you go to the east of the village and I'll go with Aku, to tell her the way we do things like this," Taro ordered.

"Fine." Setsuko left the two.

"Are you ready?" Taro asked, Aku only looked at him. His hair was flowing with the wind, the leaves were falling right off his face, not a scratch. His face was serious.

"Aku?"

"Huh?" Aku asked.

"Pay attention!" Taro said as he was in the lead.

"Oh, right! I'm coming!"

Sato/Kenji

A small carriage that looked like a farmer's cart being pulled by a young strong man was outside a house waiting for its two travelers, Sato and Kenji.

"Are you ready?" Kenji asked as Sato followed behind him.

"I guess," Sato said back.

"Why... tomorrow is the coronation of the leader of the Cha no Kuni, and you are the leader. You should be very proud," Kenji said.

"Yes, but...but I don't know how to be one," Sato said walking closer to the carriage.

"Don't worry I will be beside you the whole time," Kenji said, him and Sato.

"I guess. But what if something bad happens?" Sato asked as he and Kenji walked in the carriage and gave the signal for the young man to go. The young man started running.

"As I said before. Don't worry Sato nothing will happen to you," Kenji said.

"And Hanako?"

"Her either. You're both safe."

The young man running with the carriage at his hands smiled.

Marieke and her students with Hanako (Hours Later)

"Man, I am so beat from training!" Kyoko yelled from the floor.

"I know what you mean. I thought I would die from lack of air," Midori said.

"Kyoko-neechan, Neko-chan and I want to play!" Hanako jumped on Kyoko's stomach and Neko licked her face.

"Ow..ow..please...s…top! That tickles Neko-chan!" Kyoko said.

"Hanako, I think you should get off of her," Midori said.

"Oh…" Hanako stopped.

Kyoko had drool coming out of her mouth and her eyes had X's on them.

"Kyoko? Kyoko? KYOKO?" Midori yelled.

"Huh?"

"Wake up silly!" Hanako said.

"Alright. I'm up I'm up."

"Good evening girls. How are you?" Marieke came outside and sat on the porch.

"We would be even better if you didn't make us run," Kyoko muttered under her breath.

"Did you hear? Sato is coming back home today. I'm so excited," Hanako squealed with joy to see her older brother.

"Yes, we did hear and tomorrow is the coronation of your brother as well," Marieke smiled.

"I'm so happy," Hanako squeezed Neko in her arms.

"So does that mean, we're finished with this mission tomorrow?" Midori asked.

"Yes, the day after tomorrow and we head home," Marieke said.

"And rub this in Nami's face back home. That we got to finish the mission and she didn't get too." Kyoko laughed.

"I wouldn't advise it. But maybe it's because I'm too nice of a friend," Midori joked.

"That's it," Kyoko agreed with a nod. "Do what you want, but its a once in a lifetime chance."

"I wonder when he'll get here?" Hanako jumped up very eager to see her brother, Sato.

"Very soon. Very soon, Hanako-san," Marieke said peeling a fruit she picked off the nearby tree.

"Maybe it was for the better that Nami left," Midori whispered to Kyoko. "I don't know how much longer she could've stood Sato-san."

"Yeah."

"I can't wait," Hanako said.

In the Trees

"Neither can we," Taro said.

Aku stared down at the group.

"Come Aku, we have to get ready," Taro said.

"Right." Aku followed.

Sato and Kenji

"We're finally home," Kenji said with a sign of relief.

"Yes, we are aren't we?" Sato said. "It's good to be home."

Hanako and her Bodyguards

"Sato! He's here, he's here!" Hanako yelled jumping up and down as she heard the cart.

"Alright you can go see him," Marieke said as she got up and walked with her.

"We'll come along too," Midori said. "There would be no excuse if we don't greet the future leader of Cha no Kuni."

"Fine." Kyoko got up.

Sato and Kenji

The young man pulling them smiled with a little laugh. The ride finally came to a stop and the young man took the bags from Kenji and Sato and stood in front of them...not moving out of their way.

"Thank you, but we can take it from here," Kenji said trying to take the bags, but he wouldn't let him.

"I don't think so," the young man said with a grin.

"What? What are you talking about?" Kenji asked.

The young man took off his hat and appeared to be...Setsuko!

"Sato I'm so glad to..." Hanako was frozen with shock.

"Oh, it's the little girl again. Happy to see me?" Setsuko laughed.

"Why are you here you big meanie?" Hanako pouted.

"Hanako stay out of this," Sato ordered. "Go back in!"

"Oh, and the little boy tries to be a man!" Setsuko laughed. "You make me sick!"

"You should never talk to the future leader like that!" Kenji said.

"What are you going to do? Fight me?" Setsuko asked.

"I don't fight women," Kenji said, as Midori and Kyoko came to the scene.

"Girls watch Hanako!" Marieke said.

"Aw, but I want to get in on the action!" Kyoko said.

"Shut it Kyoko!" Midori ordered, throwing an arm protectively in front of Hanako. "This isn't game! Be serious!"

"You're surrounded Setsuko. You have no where to run!" Marieke said.

"I'm so scared, I'm quaking in my boots! Someone save me! Haha! Please, get real. None of you could take me on," Setsuko said.

"I don't know about that," Marieke said.

"Oh I know that future leader over there should be bowing to my master and not the other way around," Setsuko said.

"Why you…You asked for it now!" Kenji said and ran towards Setsuko.

"Kenji! NO! Don't!" Marieke tried to stop him but was too late.

"A trembling old man, you think you can beat me, huh?" Setsuko disappeared and reappeared in the back of Kenji, and punctured his neck and arms, paralyzing him.

"Kenji!" Hanako yelled with fear and ran into the house.

"I knew you would go off and do your own thing," Taro said from a tree and jumped down in front of Setsuko with Aku (Nami) beside him.

"Huh?" Setsuko said.

"Just like I said, right Aku?" Taro laughed with Aku looking forward and not saying a word.

"Nami?" Kyoko asked. Nami didn't reply to her.

"Nami! It's us, Midori and Kyoko! What are you doing over there?" Kyoko asked.

"Who are you talking to? Yourself?" Aku asked with an eyebrow raised.

"ARGH! What is wrong with you, you...you baka!" Kyoko yelled.

"Kyoko, please!" Midori said.

"What?" Kyoko asked.

"Nami, what happened?" Midori asked.

"Nami, what are you doing? We thought you were back in Konoha?" Marieke asked.

"I don't know who this Nami person is, but I know that you're my enemy and I must destroy you! As father demanded," Aku yelled.

"Aku!"

"Huh?" Aku asked.

"Not here, you know why we are here and we already have what we came for," Taro said and disappeared into the trees.

"Right," Aku disappeared the same way Taro did.

"That was weird," Kyoko said.

"Yeah. Wait! Where is Sato?" Midori asked.

"They have him!" Marieke said.

"They also have our friend! We need to save both of them!" Midori said.

"Are you sure?" Kyoko asked.

"Of course we will save them both," Midori said, eyeing Kyoko for a second. "But what was all that 'Aku' business?"

"We can save Sato for sure, but I think we already lost Nami! Come on, she didn't even remember who she was. She's on the other side and she's our enemy right now! Why do you think they named her 'Aku'?"

"No! We can still save her," Midori said confidently. "We've known her for years. They've only known her for days."

"Midori," Marieke said quietly. "People have two paths to take and Nami... just decided to take a detour."

"You mean…" Midori asked.

"Yes, people choose different lives to live, and we can't change the past or the person. Nami is now our enemy and we can't do anything about it. But we can change our future. We can start by saving Sato," Marieke said and Midori along with Kyoko nodded. "Stick with the mission."

"But where is Sato?" Kyoko pointed out.

"He's...he's...not to far from here," Kenji tried to say.

"Yes, go on with it," Marieke said and helped him up into the house. When Kenji was finally laid down and wasn't as paralyzed he could talk. He told the girls the location of Kunihiko's lair, at least…where people had seen him.

"Alright so tomorrow we strike, and take them all down! Along with Nami!" Kyoko pounded her left hand into her right.

"…Yes, but we need a plan," Midori said.

"No," Marieke said.

"What?" Midori said in disbelief. "…I don't follow, sensei."

"They want us to have a plan, and use it against us. All we're going to do is set on saving Sato and that's it," Marieke said.

"…Right," Midori nodded.  
"Get your best weapons together and get ready for a fight," Marieke said with a challenging grin.

"This is where I put your training to the test."

-------------------

Sato was tied up behind his back and sat in the middle of a dark room with a little light over his head. He couldn't see anything beyond two feet, and was too weak to even think where he was. All he could do was open his eyes and barely move his head.

"Where? Where...am I?" Sato said with not much strength.

"Where do you think?" a voice asked him.

"Uh? Who...who was that? Who are you? Answer me!" Sato yelled.

"Don't have to yell. Alright, alright. I'll show my face." the voice came out of the darkness and into the light.

"Nami?" Sato said.

"No. Now why does everyone call me that, instead of my family?" Aku smiled as she sat in front of Sato with a piece of fruit in her left hand.

"You've...you've changed," Sato said with some strength coming back to him.

"How?" Aku asked as she took out a kunai and started to cut the fruit in her hand.

"The color of you're outfit. And...and you're working for the enemy."

"Really? The last time I checked you were my enemy," Aku laughed.

"No, this isn't you. You might hate me, but these people aren't your real friends or family as you call them."

"I knew you would tell me this."

"Really?"

"Yes, father, well you know him as Kunihiko told me you would," Aku put a piece of fruit in her mouth and ate it.

"Kunihiko isn't your father!" Sato yelled.

"Can you stop saying that?" Aku yelled back. "I know he isn't my father, but he treats me like I'm his daughter so I will call him what I like!"

Silence.

"Fine," Sato said.

"Huh?" Aku looked down at the depressed boy.

"You win. You're better than me. If that's what you wanted to hear."

"Huh?" Aku was confused now.

"Don't act stupid! You know what I'm talking about!" Sato said.

"What are you talking about?" Aku asked.

"Remember the fight! The one that got you banned from the mission in the first place?" Sato said back.

Aku looked at the boy. "I have no clue what you're talking about."

"You don't? …Are you serious?" Sato asked.

"Yes, now when I think about it. I don't even remember how I got here. Why?" Aku and Sato where both in silence. Aku started feeling weird and wasn't feeling so well she told Sato.

"What's happening to me? ARGH!" Aku's eyes were glowing a different color. Her hair was flying up and her outfit color was changing from her real color to the other color of clothing.

"Nami! What's…What's wrong with you?!" Sato asked shakily.

"I... don't... know!" Aku replied back. "AH!" Aku went through this moment for less than a minute and when it was over she was silent, and her head was down.

"Nami? Are you ok?" Sato asked.

Aku was still silent and when she finally looked up, her eyes were white and she was pale.

"Nami, talk to me!" Sato demanded.

"…Help…me…" Aku said and fell on the floor.

"Nami? Nami? Na..." Sato said before something behind him knocked him out from the neck.

"I see this one is stronger than I thought," the voice said, and picked up Aku and left Sato in the room alone.

Marieke and her students (one hour later)

"Alright is everyone ready?" Marieke asked.

"Yes. We have everything that we need." Midori answered back.

"Good," Marieke said.

"I am so ready for this!" Kyoko yelled.

"Wait!" Hanako whined as she came outside to meet the girls.

"Hanako?" Kyoko said trying to get the crying girl off her leg.

"I don't want you to go! I don't want to loss another friend," Hanako cried.

"Hey. You can't cry," Kyoko said.

"Huh?" Hanako said wiping her tears from her cheek.

"You're a big girl, and in order for your brother to be saved you have to let me go," Kyoko said.

"Alright."

"Good. Now go back to Kenji and be a good girl for us," Kyoko said.

"Thanks, Kyoko! Kick their butts!" Hanako hugged Kyoko and ran back to Kenji waiting behind them.

"You got it." Kyoko smiled with a thumbs up.

"Hmph. That was strangely mature of you, Kyoko," Midori smirked.

"Well…I try."

"Alright. Let's go!" Marieke ordered.

"Right!"

The three trio of ninja went off for one last task...to save Sato!

Kunihiko's Hideout

Sato laid unconscious on the ground, with his hands still tied and drool now coming out of his mouth, his head finally started to move and he started to wake up and come to again.

"Wha...what happened?" Sato asked. "Huh? Nami? Nami where are you?" Sato yelled.

"She's not here. But don't worry she's still here with us and well... if that's what you wanted to know," another voice said.

"Who are you?" Sato asked.

"Like you've never seen me before," the voice laughed and came into sight just as Nami did before.

"Taro... I should have known," Sato said.

"Yes, you should've known, blah, blah, blah. Now I didn't come here to chat with you and be friendly," Taro said.

"Then why did you come here?" Sato asked as his head followed Taro's movement circling around him.

"I came here to tell you...stay away from...Aku or Nami as you call her."

"What? What are you talking about, and why does everyone call her Aku?" Sato yelled with fire in his eyes.

"Temper, temper," Taro laughed.

"Taro! Tell me what you're talking about!"

"Alright you want to know? Fine! I'll tell ya. Nami is not herself, and when I say not herself I mean she doesn't know who you are and doesn't remember who she is either. All she knows now is that everyone except Setsuko, Kunihiko-sama and I are her enemies and she must do her duty. Now with all these people calling her Nami, she is starting to remember a little and wants to know why her enemies are calling her by this name. The jutsu is wearing off and she soon will have total self control. There I told you everything...happy?" Taro grinned.

"What is this...some kind of joke?" Sato asked.

"No, it is not a joke and my purpose for coming here must be fulfilled and for that to come true you must play along as well. No more calling her Nami and making her think you know her. GOT THAT?" Taro ordered and looked at Sato with his face to the floor and making any facial expressions. Taro waited for a minute and after that exited out of the dark room.

"I don't believe it...it's my fault...all my fault," Sato said looking back up. "I knew I couldn't handle this…"

Marieke and her students

Marieke and her students were flying there the trees, with the leaves blowing past them. They were getting closer to the hideout and closer as the minutes past by.

"Are we there yet?" Kyoko whined behind the two others.

"Kyoko I swear if you say something like that again I will take you off the mission as well." Marieke warned. "Ninja don't complain about such petty little things."

Kyoko shrunk into a chibi like person in her imagination and was crying, with puppy dog eyes after to ask for forgiveness.

"There it is!" Midori pointed with her hand to the small figure that looked just like Sato's house to them just as it did for Nami when she encountered this place.

"Alright...is everyone ready?" Marieke asked as she and her students finally stopped to run on foot for there on. The two other girls nodded back to their sensei.  
"Good...now let's go!" Marieke ordered and the three nin ran off to save Sato and Nami, not knowing what laid ahead of them.

Kunihiko's Hideout

"Taro, Aku, Setsuko come here," Kunihiko commanded from his EVIL chair. Within seconds the three ninja, appeared before him bowing towards him.

"Yes, master what it is that you want for us to do?" Taro asked.

"We have some visitors and I want you to take care of them," Kunihiko continued on. "And when I mean "take care of" I mean I don't want to see them every again. Do I make myself clear?" Kunihiko asked his ninja.

"Yes, Kunihiko-sama," the three ninja said together.

"Good...now go and get out of my sight." Kunihiko ordered with the wave of his hand and the three nin were gone.

Outside the Creepy house

"Alright I just want to say one of us might not come back from this fight. So I want to say if anything happens to me, and I can't fight I want you two to not retreat, or run but make sure you get Sato to a safe location, got it?" Marieke asked.

"Yes, Marieke-sensei. We understand," Midori said with a nod.

"Yeah so let's go, and kick some butt!" Kyoko yelled with joy.

"Ok. Let's go," Marieke replied to her girls and they all ended up in front of the door, and it suddenly opened with no one there to see who opened it.

"That's creepy," Kyoko said.

"No kidding. Should we go or not?" Midori asked.

Marieke just stood there, as the two girls looked at her for a response. "We must go no matter how 'creepy' it is," Marieke said and entered the house with Midori and Kyoko behind her.  
SLAM!

"Alright who's there?" Kyoko yelled with her joy all gone.

"Hahaha," a voice laughed as it's shadow disappeared.

Kyoko threw a kunai at the shadow, and it hit a wall.

"Kyoko, get a hold of yourself!" Marieke ordered.

"Now, now, now what happened to all your joy you had outside...before you came in here? Did it disappear?" a voice said that was a little familiar to them.

"I think it did," another voice said.

"Nami? Is that you? Show yourself!" Kyoko cried.

They waited for a response from their enemy, after a couple of seconds light turned on and Setsuko,

Taro and Aku all came into sight to the three nin.

"Hehehe," Setsuko laughed with her hand over her mouth.

"What are _you _laughing about?" Midori asked.

"Oh nothing...just thinking about how funny it is that you three think you can defeat us," Setsuko said.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Kyoko yelled with fury.

"What do you think it means?" Taro said.

"Can we stop talking and just get to the fighting?" Aku proclaimed.

"Nami. I never knew you would end up like this." Marieke said.

"For the last time...I'm not Nami!" Aku said charging for Marieke.

"I don't want to hurt you," Marieke said taking out a kunai.

"You don't have to do the fighting! I will! AH!" Aku yelled.

"Nami!" Midori cried.

"AH!" Aku threw her kunai at Marieke who dogged it, and looked to see Aku still coming at her with a punch. Marieke put her kunai in front of her and Aku was still for a moment not making a sound. "But if you insist!"

POOF!

"Nami?" Midori said.

"It was only a Kage Bunshin?" Kyoko said.

"They're all replications. They're somewhere else ready for an ambush," Marieke said.

"So you figured it out good thinking," Taro's clone said and disappeared along with Setsuko's clone.

"Where are they really, than?" Midori asked, glancing around.

"I don't know, but Midori, I want you to go look for Sato and me and Kyoko will hold them off."

"But I thought you said no plan!" Kyoko pointed out.

"I know what I said, Midori just go!" Marieke yelled, and Midori ran off to find Sato.

"So you think you can save Sato, what an imagination you two have thinking you will win!"

Setsuko said as she appeared in front with two daggers in her hand and others on a little slip packet hanging from her neck dangling down to her waist.

"Yes, it is quite interesting isn't it?" Taro said who appeared with a four-foot sword in his right hand with the design of a red bird around it.

"One, two...wait where's Nami?" Kyoko asked.

Midori

Midori ran as fast as she could and looked through each room, and didn't see any sight of Sato yet. Midori heard something and whipped around, slicing the air with her arm. The Hikari Suishou had started to glow and the chakra running through her arm reflected some kunai.

"Oh great I have company," Midori said and ran off dogging the other kunai and shuriken coming her way.

"Oh come on I just want to play," Aku said.

"Nami?" Midori stopped and turned around.

"No, Aku," Aku said and threw her sai at her. Midori bent her head back and did a back flip, dodging the sai just barely.

_Where did she get that new weapon from?_ _I've never seen such a thing! _Midori thought.

"I think you should be running now. I'll give you a head start since I have to retrieve my sai," Aku said. "Go ahead, you'll need it."

Midori looked at her for a moment as Aku came closer walking, taking her time. Midori took Aku's gift and started running.

"This is gonna be fun," Aku laughed.

* * *

Review or else!

Midori: R&R please! And no threats Nami...--

-KN

-HM


	11. Releasing Your True Self

Hello! Sorry I haven't talked for a while been busy getting good grades, and running for 8th grade PRESIDENT! DUN! DUN! DUN!

Hope it goes well! ALSO I WOULD LIKE MORE REVIEWS PLEASE!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

Marieke and Kyoko 

"Alright who do you want to take, Taro?" Setsuko asked.

"I think I'll take the older one, and you can take that one over there," Taro said back.

"Only fair." Setsuko said and threw her dagger at Kyoko.

Kyoko cartwheeled to the left and landed in a fighting stance.

"Ha, you missed," Kyoko said.

"Look again," Setsuko said with a grin.

"Huh?" Kyoko looked up at her hair and saw an inch of hair cut off.

"ARGH! YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THAT!" Kyoko screamed with steam coming out of her ears.

"That's what the always say," Setsuko yawned. "Alright than let's get this over with so I can get my beauty sleep."

"You're gonna need a little more sleep for beauty to come to you, girl," Kyoko laughed.

"Why…what nerve you have," Setsuko pouted and threw another dagger at Kyoko. Kyoko caught this one with her kunai.

"Is that all you got?" Kyoko asked.

"AH!!" Setsuko ran for Kyoko and they were now at hand to hand combat.

"This is why girls aren't suppose to be ninja…they care too much about appearance," Taro sighed.

"What are you saying?"

"Never mind let's just get to fighting and get this over with," Taro smiled and ran with his sword in front of him. Marieke jumped in the air and landed on the boys head.

"Ha! Funny. Now can you get off my head and act serious?"

"Fine only if you want to fight," Marieke jumped off and held out a new weapon in her hands. It was made out of metal, and it had three different tubes, but they were all connected with two chains. Marieke put out her hand and motioned Taro to come and fight. Taro smiled and charged for battle.

Midori

"Nope, nope not in here either," Midori looked through other doors and was getting tired of this looking for Sato job. "Geez…you'd think Sato would be a lot easier to find in this empty dump…Where is HE?!" Midori kicked the door and knocked it down. "There's no HOPE!" Midori whined, starting to crack.

"Midori?" Sato asked.

"Sato-san?" Midori looked in the room.

"Yeah it's me!" Sato said as Midori came to his side and started to cut the rope.

"I'm so happy I found you I was getting pissed about not finding you, after looking in like one hundred rooms," Midori said. "Are you injured?"

Before Sato could reply, the two heard a voice.

"Come out, come out where ever you are," Aku yelled looking in each room.

"Oh no, it's Nami! I thought I might be able to bring the real Nami back but…" Midori said sadly. "I guess Marieke-sensei was right…she can't be brought back."

"No, you're wrong it's all a jutsu! She really thinks she's someone else because of Kunihiko!" Sato explained.

"What are you talking about?" Midori asked.  
Sato quickly explained a quick summary about Nami, and that the only way to save her was to make her remember her old self and have self control.

"Really? I guess we could try that," Midori said.

"Good all you have to do is remind her all about her past, when I fight her, and hopefully she'll come to," Sato said.

"Alright let's give it a try," Midori said.

"There you are little mouse I was looking everywhere for you!" Aku said.

"Nami!" the two yelled.

"Stop calling me that!" Aku high kicked to them and the two quickly dodged her kick and ran out the room.

"Don't run away, this isn't how we play the game!" Aku smiled as she got up from her crash into the wall.

"Midori don't forget." Sato said as he took on Aku with Midori's kunai. Aku flung her two sai's in different directions and Sato blocked them with not much strength.

"Nami! Listen to me...it's me Midori! Remember?" Midori said, jumping in between Nami and Sato with kunai in hand.

"Why would I remember a weakling like you?" Aku asked.

"Nami! I'm you're friend and so is Kyoko! We came here together and will leave together. Remember all the times we had. All the laughs, and sad...well there weren't any real sad days, we always came through for each other! Remember playing all those pranks on Kyoko and Sasuke and blaming it all on Naruto or Sakura even me sometimes?" Midori tried. She muttered, "Even though you were the one they never believed…"

"I don't remember any of that, now shut up and leave me alone!" Aku said.

"No, I won't, and I will pin you to a wall if I have to...to make sure you listen to me!" Midori said.  
Aku stopped in her fight. "I dare ya try and pin me to the wall with four kunai," Aku smirked.

"Fine I will," Midori threw two kunai's and pinned one sleeve to the wall and the other in front of that.

"Haha. I give you credit I didn't think you had the guts, princess," Aku smiled. "Now try this on for size!" Aku kicked her two feet at Sato, but Midori threw two more kunai's so Nami was now pinned and couldn't move.

"Now... ready to listen?" Midori asked, leaning in closely. "…Princess?"

Marieke and Kyoko

Marieke, Kyoko, Setsuko and Taro were all at battle and no one was gonna fall, no one wanted to anyways. Let's face it...if someone did fall in this fight they were no true ninja and they deserved to lose and fall if they couldn't keep up with their opponent. Marieke and Taro were both locked together with their weapons, and later their weapons were switched. Taro tried to use Marieke's weapon but he couldn't, instead it hit him back in the head. Marieke looked stopped and willingly gave him back his weapon. Taro gave her, her weapon and seconds later they went back to their fight. On the other hand Kyoko and Setsuko were really getting into this fight, they were little blood spots on their clothing and cuts, bruises all over their body.

"Had enough yet?" Setsuko asked.

"No, have you?" Kyoko yelled and ran towards Setsuko with nothing but a kunai in her hand, and she was angry right now.

"Sad. You're so mad that you can't even think of what will happen next," Setsuko said as she dodged Kyoko's attack.

"Huh?"

"Let me show you what will happen," Setsuko said and formed her hands in five different hands seals. Setsuko threw her five daggers that instead of flying towards Kyoko and chopping her up, they stayed in the air right in front of Setsuko all in a row.

"Well what do you know…Setsuko has a couple of tricks up her sleeve?" Taro muttered under his breath while he was away from Marieke for a little time.

"Ah!" Marieke yelled and ran towards Taro with her weapon, Taro jumped up in the air and they went back to battle.

"Here you go Kyoko, I hope you like this!" Setsuko said as she finished her hand seals.

_What is this crazy chick going to do?_ Kyoko asked herself with a little fear in her eyes.

"Flying Daggers of no Return!" Setsuko screamed and the daggers all went flying after Kyoko with full force.

_Did she just say_ _"of no return?" Why do I have a feeling this is not going to turn out very good?_ Kyoko thought as she whipped out something new from her pocket.

"Ha! Try getting out of that!" Setsuko laughed.

"Alright I will," Kyoko showed her weapon and it was a numchaku that was black and with one kanji on each side that read "Hate". Kyoko put the numchaku in front of her twirling it around and around with one hand and the other hand started to glow a white color. Kyoko smiled at Setsuko who was confused, and Kyoko opened to her mouth to say the magic words.

"Reflection of the Wolf!" Kyoko put her other hand on the numchaku that started to glow a white color as well, and in the front a wolf visual appeared and ate up the five daggers. The five daggers fell to the ground and didn't move, but one came back after Setsuko.

"Ha! Some jutsu you got there!" Kyoko laughed back in Setsuko's face.

"Why you! You're so gonna pay for that!" Setsuko said.

_I guess I was wrong about Setsuko after all,_ Taro thought to himself. _Just another temperamental girl._

Midori

"Now...ready to listen?" Midori asked.

"I'll listen, but that doesn't mean I will believe you," Aku said testily.

"You don't have too," Sato said.

Midori sighed. _She may go by a different name, but she's still Nami, attitude and all…_

"Your real name in Nami, you're from Konohagakure, you love playing pranks on people and hate preps, and Sasuke or as you call him in your blackmail letters 'Sas-gay'!"

"Oh really?" Aku asked.

"Just listen to the girl!" Sato ordered. "Go on Midori."

"Well someone is really testy today." Aku said.

"Right. Um? Oh yeah, remember the exams we all took together to become official ninja? And Marieke-sensei? You're really good at ninjutsu. Don't you remember it?" Midori asked.

"Now when I think about it, I do remember it all. Midori I'm back! Thanks I thought something was wrong with me," Nami said.

"Really?" Midori said relief in her eyes.

"Yeah, so can you let me down now?" Nami asked.

"I'll let her go," Sato took off the kunai and soon Nami was back on the floor.

"Thanks you guys...for being stupid!" Nami laughed, and pulled out her sai, pushing Midori to the wall with her hands. Nami put her sai up to Midori's throat, making her flinch.

"Midori!" Sato tried to help but Nami kicked him down a couple of feet. His body ached and he could barely move. He slammed his fist on the ground. "No…I was so careless…Midori, I'm sorry…"

"Are you ready for what's next?" Aku asked.

"Nami. I'll always forgive you no matter what you do," Midori said with very little air to breath from the sai almost choking her. "Because…that's what friends are for." Aku looked at Midori and was about to strike when something stopped her, it was her other hand. It was pulling her back from her job, Aku was trying not to let it touch Midori, and Midori saw her chance. Midori kicked Aku, knocking into the other room. She landed on the wall and slumped in a sitting position. Midori came up to her and held her by the collar and looked into her eyes, to see the real Nami was still in there fighting.

"Nami. I know you can hear me. You need to fight this or nothing good will come of you!" Midori ordered.

"I told you I'm not Nami!" Aku yelled with her eyes glowing yellow and she punched Midori out the room.

"Midori!" Sato cried and ran to her aid.

"She…still needs help," Midori stood up, wiping her cheek off with her fist. Before she knew it,

Aku was before the two of them with both sai's in her hands.

"Ready to start our game again?" Aku asked.

"Nami! Get a hold of yourself!" Midori shouted, standing in front of Sato.

"Do I really have to tell you every time we speak of this? I am not Nami, and even if I was your friend that you once knew is gone and lost forever," Aku barked back.

"I won't give up on Nami no matter what I have to do," Midori told her with a kunai in her hands and in fighting position.

Aku first came at Midori, who blocked the attack and they were in combat now, with Sato watching them trying to help but didn't know what to do. Midori and Aku were breaking all the furniture around and knocking down door or wall after door or wall. Midori finally came after Aku who did a back flip and her sai was caught on one of the pipes above her. She was stuck and when she saw Midori with a grin on her face, Aku forcefully pulled at the weapon, soon it broke lose but water was spraying everywhere now, all the pipes where starting to break and Midori, Aku and Sato were now soaked with water.

"Nami! Stop this right now!" Midori yelled as she jumped backwards in weapon combat with Aku.

"Tick, tock you're just wasting your time with this Nami junk!" Aku said with a blow to the chest, directly hitting Midori. Midori staggered backwards and regained her balance.

"Fine. I didn't want to do this but you've left me no choice," Midori said, grasping her Hikari Suishou.

"Oh, I'm so scared!" Aku stopped in her tracks. "A little princess and her fairy crystal is going to hurt me..."

Midori's crystal stone hanging from her neck was starting to glow a green color and so was Midori's eyes. Midori ran towards Aku with her bare hands in front of Aku. Aku could see bright green light (probably chakra) on Midori's hands, sharpening into crystallite claws. She hit her in the stomach, but instead of a bruise, little bits of blood dropped down on the floor and, later washed away with the water. Aku and Midori stood still, Midori quickly drew away her clean hand, the sharp chakra pulling away from Aku's stomach. Aku was left to fall to the ground on her knees with her hand over her wound.

"Ah!!!!!!" Aku screamed as a black smoke like material slithered out of her wound, and disappeared into the falling water.

"It's the darkness of the jutsu Kunihiko put on he," Sato proclaimed.

"Nami? Nami are you alright? Nami!" Midori picked her friend up from the ground.

"Huh?" Nami looked over to her friend. "Midori what happened, and why am I bleeding?"

"Long story short, Kunihiko made you turn on us and I had to...well I'm the cause of your bleeding let's say. I'm sorry."

"But it was for your own good," Sato said.

"Kunihiko, he did this to me. Now I remember I was trying to get out of the jutsu but I couldn't! It was too strong, but you saved me Midori! You—" Nami erupted into a fit of coughs. She slowly got back on her two feet, and was a little off balance but Sato helped her back up again.

"Where's Marieke-sensei and Kyoko?" Nami asked.

"They're fighting Setsuko and Taro," Midori said.

"Oh those two…they were annoying...well it was really all Setsuko and not much of Taro, he was actually my friend," Nami said.

"Yeah, but he's now your enemy and you have to defeat him no matter what," Midori said.

"Yeah I know..." Nami was in silence for a moment and than reclaimed. "Hey we're on a mission shouldn't we be doing what we do best? KICKING BUTT!" Nami ran off.

"Yep...she's back!" Sato said following her.

"You're telling me!" Midori laughed.

Marieke and Kyoko

"You weren't much of a challenge," Kyoko stood over the knocked out Setsuko from one of her own daggers.

"Kyoko!" Nami waved.

"Hey, stay away from me!" Kyoko stood her ground.

"Kyoko it's me!" Nami said.

"Prove it!" Kyoko said.

"You're an idiot," Nami said.

"Fine, it's you," Kyoko gave in.

"So you've turned on us?" Taro said.

"Taro...I wasn't myself, and I don't think you are either or Setsuko," Nami said.

"Is that true?" Marieke asked.

"So what if it is? You can't help us, we've been under this jutsu for too long and now it's grown with us and we can't escape from its grasp," Taro said.

"There has to be a way," Nami said.

"No, my dear child he's telling the truth," Kunihiko said.

"Kunihiko you're going to pay for what you did!" Nami yelled.

"Yes, it was wrong but you came to me don't you forget!" Kunihiko said.

"Is that true, Nami?" Midori asked.

"Yes, but I wasn't myself in the first place. I was filled with rage and would do anything to get revenge," Nami defended herself.

"Say what you want, but you know you're true self and that was it," Kunihiko said.

"No, you're wrong!" Nami said.

"Am I? If I'm concerned you're just like when I was little, right?" Kunihiko asked with a raised brow.

"You are! I will not be like you!" Nami yelled whipped her sai in front of her.

"Nami, stop and don't act," Marieke ordered.

"Ha! You should listen to her you know Nami, besides I made you more powerful, and you want to take me out? Think again! I am the most powerful person in the world."

"Oh brother." Kyoko muttered. "Another freak who thinks he can rule the world."

"Modest, isn't he?" Midori said, raising an eyebrow. "Why are we letting him talk like this, Marieke-sensei? Shouldn't we attack?" Midori asked Marieke.

"We won't have to."

"Huh?" Midori was puzzled.

"Look up at the windows and the shadows. What do you see?" Marieke whispered to Midori.  
Midori looked at the nearby window and saw a figure outside and two others hiding behind the master in the dark shadow.

"A sneak attack?" Midori asked back in a small whisper, and Marieke nodded.

"Ha! You won't even scratch me if you tried! Let's think of this Aku!"

"Nami!" Nami interrupted.

"Yeah whatever, Nami. You're weak and I was the one who made you strong again. Let's just face it, without me you're nothing. A mere little child could defeat you in a fight."

"You're wrong the person you're talking of is really you, I made you strong with my powers and you did nothing to help me get that! I figured the scroll out by myself and...You are real match for me Kunihiko. Besides you will fall and I will be the source of it all," Nami grinned.

"_She's _modest too," Midori muttered.

"Right? You are the source of what?" Kunihiko pointed out.

"The source of...THIS! I'm sorry Marieke-sensei." Nami ran after Kunihiko with the sai in her hand.

"Nami don't! I forbid it!" Marieke said.

"As I figured," Kunihiko muttered and disappeared.

"Huh? Where did he go?" Nami asked out loud.

"I'm really right behind you," Kunihiko said and knocked Nami out from the back.

"Nami!" Kyoko and Midori both yelled.

"Ha! Your friend is gone!" Kunihiko laughed.

POOF!

"Wha...Kawarimi? Where did you go little girl?" Kunihiko smiled.

"Marieke-sensei?" Midori looked around and Marieke was no where to be seen.

"I'm not little!" Nami screamed, she came from the left of Kunihiko and socked him the jaw. It nearly made him fly two inches.

"Ha! You call that fighting?" Kunihiko grinned.

"Look again," Nami pointed, Kunihiko's back had a sai on it. It didn't hurt him, but it did paralyze him from that mark and down to his legs.

"When you were playing ruler in your chair, I was reading up on my battle tactics, and this came up. I guess I'm grown up, huh?" Nami grinned.

"Yeah Nami!" Midori yelled.

"That's how we do it!" Kyoko yelled as well.

"Good going Nami!" Sato said, and Nami thumbs up all her friends.

"You think you can defeat you better think again. Taro!" Kunihiko demanded but not response.

"Taro!" Kunihiko yelled once more.

"He can't hear you. He's out," Marieke said.

"What?"

"The ANBU took care of him and the other girl they are now being taken to jail and you are going to join them."

"ANBU?"

"They're my friends and after Nami left, and for filled part one of the mission, the ANBU were where part two and they were here the whole time. They were disguised in the leaves not to far from here, and were watching you the whole time. Nami made sure you thought you had her under control, you did but she knew exactly what was going on. She has a real rebellious mind, I'm sure you know. I guess she really fooled you. Good job Nami!" Marieke explained and congratulated.

"Ah! It was no problem. Really I loved it," Nami laughed.

"You're gonna pay for this, Nami. Mark my words I will be back, and than you won't be able to get rid of me so easily. Got that Nami! I WILL BE BACK!" Kunihiko yelled as two ANBU took him away.

"Alright see you in jail, Kunihiko I'll be sure to send a fruit basket," Nami waved.

"Wait? This was all a plan?" Kyoko asked as she and the others came up.

"Yep," Marieke answered back.

"From the whole beginning?" Midori asked.

"All the way from the Hokage," Nami said back.

"The Hokage knew and we didn't! What's up with this?" Kyoko asked.

"I know I should have clued you two in, but this was too big of a mission and Nami was the only one I knew I could easily ban from a mission," Marieke explained.

"Yeah you guys think about it. Midori, you play by the rules and do whatever Marieke-sensei says, and Kyoko sure you're crazy but you'd never want to be banned from a mission. Am I right or am I right?" Nami defended.

"Well when you put it like that…." Midori said, embarrassed.

"You're right," Kyoko said.

"Wait was I suppose to be kidnapped?" Sato asked.

"Actually that wasn't supposed to happen, but besides that everything went right," Nami giggled.

"And the glowing and...the jutsu! How could you be under control with all that?!" Midori demanded.

"I can answer that one," Marieke stated. "A while ago, Nami summoned Noriko, the Queen of the Foxes. That was because the jutsu Kunihiko had put her under had increased her chakra ability. It was then that I dispelled the jutsu, a minor act for a person such as myself."

Her students sweat dropped.

"Anyhow, it was only simple genjutsu from there that the ANBU performed. None of that was really happening to Nami. We just wanted it to look realistic."

"So the ANBU could've jumped in at any time?!" Kyoko shouted.

"That's right. But I wanted to test you girls."

"What's with you and tests?!"

Marieke shrugged. "It worked, did it not? And we still completed the mission."

"So…I wounded you for nothing?!" Midori said angrily, turning to Nami.

"Eh…it's not _that _bad," Nami said, looking down at her wound. "Okay, so it kind of hurt though…a lot…"

"Well, maybe you should've thought of that before you decided to not let me in on this," Midori said, crossing her arms. "So I guess we should go back now, right?"

"Yeah, I have to show Hanako I kept my promise," Kyoko said.

"Alright let's go," Marieke ordered and the tweens went along.

Sato's House

Hanako was sitting on the steps of the house with two servants standing by her side, and Kenji coming out of the door telling Hanako it's time for bed.

"Come Hanako-sama, time for bed," Kenji ordered.

"No! I will wait out here for Sato-niisan until he gets back," Hanako snapped back.

"Please tell the young princess to come to bed," Kenji ordered to the two servants.

"Hanako-san, please it's time for bed as Kenji ordered," one girl said.

"No!" Hanako whined.

"Young miss, please don't disobey," the other girl said calmly.

"Hanako don't disobey me please and go to bed," Kenji said.  
Hanako stood for a moment and gave up and walked up the steps. There was a sound in the bushes just than.

"Niisan!" Hanako asked.

"It's not him, it's just an animal Hanako-sama," Kenji said.

Hanako waited for a moment and heard a voice.

"Did you hear that?" Hanako asked.

"No, I didn't now come. Come," Kenji said.

"Hanako."

"Huh?"

"Hanako!"

"Sato-niisan!" Hanako yelled and ran to the bottom of the steps.

"Hanako please stop this," Kenji said.

"Sato-niisan!" Hanako yelled once more.

"Hanako!" Sato yelled and came into sight.

"Niisan!" Hanako ran to Sato and ended up in his arms.

"Hanako! I told you I would keep my promise!" Kyoko said.

"Thank you! I am so happy my brother is back. You really did kick their butts, huh?" Hanako smiled.

"You could something like that," Nami laughed which was followed by a smiled.

"Nami? You're back! Did you save my brother, too?" Hanako asked as Sato set here down.

"You could say that," Nami replied.

"Your highness, you're back! I am so relieved," Kenji smiled as he ran up to Sato and gave him a hug.

"It's nice to see you again as well, Kenji!" Sato said back.

"Thank you ever so much for this," Kenji said to the girls.

"It was no prob," Nami smiled.

"Now we can go home," Midori said.

"No you should all stay for the coronation. Also reclaim your strength for the journey home," Sato said.

"I'm down for that," Nami and Kyoko both agreed.

"That does sound like a good idea. Sensei?" Midori asked.

"I don't see why not. We'll stay for the coronation and after leave for home," Marieke said.

"Kyoko. You have to tell me how you and the others saved my brother!" Hanako urged.

"Yeah I would like to know as well. Seeing we were here worried about your safety. I'll see someone makes us tea and you guys can tell us all about it," Kenji said and guided everyone back to the house.

"Tea does sound real good right now," Kyoko said.

"Yeah but you're not making mine. Last time you did it turned a light calming brown color, than it turned pitch black!" Nami remarked.

"What! That was really your fault you put the way too much sugar in the tea from the first place. NAMI COME BACK HERE!" Kyoko yelled back.

"I can't hear you!" Nami said.

"The peace was nice for a while…" Midori said to Marieke.

"No kidding," Marieke said back to her.

The next day…

That night everyone told Hanako and Kenji of the exciting fights, and every little detail they could tell them about their mission. They went on for hours, but soon it came to an end when the only people awake were Kyoko and Nami who were having a fast tea drinking contest. They both blacked out after the one hundredth cup it seemed to them. The next day Marieke and her students backed up their belongings, while Kenji was helping Sato get ready for his coronation and two girls were helping Hanako get dressed. The coronation started at around noon and lasted until, one. After that there was a feast, though Marieke and her students could not stay Kyoko and Nami still sneaked some food into their pockets.

"I wanted to say thank you once again before you left," Sato said.

"It was our honor, your highness," Marieke said back.

"I wanted to give you something though," Sato reached into his pocket and took out four medals that had the teas symbol on it.

"Thank you, Sato-sama," Midori said, smiling.

"Yeah, these are wicked sick, man!" Nami said in her slang which meant, "These are great!"

"Now we can rub these in others faces," Kyoko said lightly under her breath.

Midori sweat dropped. "I can't believe you two…"

Sato laughed. "Now, you better go before Hanako finds you guys again and says good-bye for the tenth time."

"Thank you again," Marieke said as she bowed and walked off with Midori and Kyoko following her.

"Good luck with your land, Sato-sama! You'll make a great leader!" Midori complimented.

"Tell Hanako to stay strong!" Kyoko added.

"Hey I'll catch up with guys. Just give me a minute," Nami said.

"You're gonna get left behind!" Kyoko said.

"Yeah, yeah," Nami said.

"So you want to tell me something?" Sato asked.

"Yeah I'm sorry from the beginning. I was a little mean, and you and I were at each others throats and I just wanted to clear everything up. Friends?" Nami held out her hand.

"Friends." Sato shook her hand, pulled Nami in closer and kissed her on the cheek.

"See you later, friend," Sato smiled and walked off.

Nami was frozen in place with a blushed look on her face.

_Whoa! What was that?_ Nami asked herself.

"Nami! Come on!" Midori yelled.

"Coming!" Nami replied back and put the medal in her pocket.

"What was that all about?" Kyoko asked as Nami got up to them.

"Oh nothing, just a friendly talk between two friends," Nami put her hand on her cheek and blushed.

"Hmph, really?" Midori said, noticing how calm and kind Nami was being. "So, Sato looks pretty cute in his royal clothes, don't you think?"

"What?"

"I thought you guys hated each other?" Kyoko asked.

"I guess people change," Nami remarked and she, her teammates and sensei went off on a journey back to Konoha. They would later talk to everyone and show off their medals (most of them anyway), and especially go show it to the Hokage. They only question on these girls mind was: When do we get to get some more ACTION? Yes, some people change…but some will always be the same.

* * *

T.T MY JOURNEY OF AN AUTHOR IS OVER! YOU WERE ALL SOOOO GREAT! I WILL MISS YOU ALL! I WILL MISS THIS JOURNEY OF BEING A AUTHOR ON FF! But if some of you think I should get an account you have to say yes or no! I NEED TO KNOW IF I HAVE WHAT IT TAKES! 

Midori: Anyway, I'll be back next time! Whether its good news or bad news, I have NO IDEA. That all depends on you! Thanks for reading! We really appreciate the test run!

-KN

-HM


	12. Back in Konohagakure!

YES! It's good to be back! Thanks for being so supportive of my friend and both of us are glad that you all liked the mission!

IMPORTANT: Now, here's the deal. If I'm able to get about four reviews over the weekend, I'll update EVERY DAY STARTING MONDAY. If I don't, well, you'll all just have to wait till Friday like every other week. So please leave a review after this chapter (which I might add is a bit on the random side considering its sort of filler-y)!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

Midori strolled through the streets of Konoha with a bag, looking around for something that would catch her eye. It seemed that Midori's feminine side had taken over ever since that higher-ranked mission. Then, something _did _catch her eye. However, it wasn't really a thing. It was…a dog?

She squeaked as a dirty, white tuff of fur ran around her legs. She froze when the white streaked through her legs. Before she could let out a breath of relief, she felt an impact against her body.

"Augh!"

"Akamaru!" the person who had crashed into her less-than-gracefully jumped up. "Get back here, ya mutt!"

"BARK BARK!"

"Sorry, sorry! But come back here! It won't take long!"

"BARK!"

"WHAT?!"

Midori stood up and brushed herself off.

Kiba was started to run but was held in place by a yank of his hood. Kiba choked and clutched his neck. He whirled around angrily and shouted, "What's the big idea?!"

Midori gave him the LOOK.

Kiba shrunk. He had gotten that look from his mom millions of times. "Er, I mean, sorry?" Then he recognized the girl's face. "Hey…you're one of those three girls that came to class on orientation day! What was your name?"

"Hikari Midori," Midori answered. "And _you're _Inuzuka Kiba-san."

"That's me," Kiba grinned. "But no 'san'. Way to formal, man. I mean, girl."

Midori rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. "All right. But really, what happened? I don't know much about the Inuzuka Clan, but I'm pretty sure their companions don't usually run _away_ from their masters."

"They don't but today's the day for Akamaru's _bath_," Kiba explained, whispering the word 'bath'.

Midori nodded in understanding. "Oh…"

"Well, I gotta go catch Akamaru!" Kiba said as he started to run.

"I'll help you," Midori said as she followed the Inuzuka.

"Hey, thanks!"

"No problem."

---

_Dun, dun, dun, da-da-dun, dun, dun, dun-dun-dun…_ Nami thought as she scaled the trees. (Mission Impossible XD)

"What are you doing?"

"Ack!" Nami fell off the roof and tumbled to her doom. Luckily, the tree branch she was on was only about four feet off the ground.

Nami found herself staring up at a familiar boy. Her eyes widened. "Shik?"

Shikamaru sighed. "My name isn't Shik…"

"Help me up."

Shikamaru looked reluctant but held out his hand nonetheless. "What were you doing?"

"Something…" Nami said slyly.

"…I'll be going now," Shikamaru said as he started to walk away.

"Wait!"

Shikamaru stopped. "What?"

"Don't you want to know _what _I was doing?"

"Not really."

"Wait!"

"_What_?" Shikamaru was starting to get annoyed.

"I'll tell you anyway."

Shikamaru sighed. "Fine."

Nami leaned in close and whispered in his ear.

Shikamaru's eyebrow slowly arched and his mouth dropped open slightly. "You're…joking."

"Nope."

"You're crazy."

"Aw, c'mon, Shik! Haven't you _ever _wondered what's in it? Huh? Have you?"

"…No…"

"You sound hesitant," Nami smirked as she started to walk away in the dramatic fashion she had seen a million times in anime and movies.

Shikamaru had his back turned to Nami and visions raced through his head. Now, Shikamaru was the type of guy to slowly analyze any situation and go through all the possibilities. All the possibilities… "Well…"

Nami turned around. "_Yes?_"

"Fine."

Nami grinned and held the victory sign.

_Troublesome woman. _

---

"Another bowl, jiisan!"

"Ah, hungry today, Kyoko-kun?" Teuchi laughed.

"You bet!" Kyoko grinned, finishing off her bowl of ramen. "Gotta bulk up if I'm gonna be a strong kunoichi, you know!"

Teuchi just chuckled once more and shook his head. "You may give Naruto a run for his money. Ayame!"

"Coming!" Ayame dropped a bowl filled with hot ramen in front of Kyoko. "Here you go, Kyoko-chan!"

"Arigato!"

"Welcome!"

Kyoko glanced over to see Naruto take a seat next to her.

"The usual, jiisan!" he called.

"All right, Naruto," Teuchi said. _Yeesh. Been years since Naruto first came here and he doesn't bother calling me by my actual name!_

"Oi, Naruto!" Kyoko said, wiping her mouth and waving. "What's up?"

"Oh, hey Kyoko," Naruto grinned toothily. "Nothin' much. Just getting a quick breakfast in before training! Since Kakashi-sensei won't bother to come early, why should I?"

Kyoko nodded in agreement. "Marieke-sensei gave us the day off after the big mission."

"Oh yeah?" Naruto said slyly. "Well, _my _team got a big mission too!"

"You don't say."

"Yeah!" Naruto said, not noticing the hint of sarcasm. He explained energetically about his mission in Kirigakure and about Haku and Zabuza.

Kyoko's smile faded. _Haku…_

"So, you guys aren't the only ones!" Naruto grinned. Then he noticed Kyoko's dazed looks. "Huh? Kyoko? Are you listening?"

Kyoko snapped out of her trance. "Yeah, yeah!"

"What was the last thing I said?" Naruto said.

"You were asking me if I was listening, duh," Kyoko said obviously.

"…That's right!" Naruto exclaimed.

Kyoko sweat dropped.

"Hey, hey, Kyoko," Naruto said, suddenly whispering. "You wanna do _something _with me?"

"Like…what?" Kyoko said, inching away slightly.

Naruto leaned in closer. "_Something_."

SLAP!

"OW!" Naruto yelped as he flew off his chair. "What was _that _for?!"

Kyoko flushed. "I don't like you like _that _Naruto, little pervert!"

Now it was Naruto's turn to flush. "Not _that_! I meant a ramen-eating contest! Who can eat the most ramen, stupid!"

"Oh…um…" Kyoko said. _Awkward…_

After what seemed like a long silence, Kyoko agreed to the challenge.

"Cool!" Naruto grinned slyly. "I'll win."

"No way," Kyoko said, suddenly serious. "It is _I _who will be the one to win!"

As imaginary lightning shot between the pair's eyes, the battle began.

---

_Why did I offer to do this? WHY? _Midori asked herself silently as she crawled after Kiba.

"Midori," Kiba whispered. "The target is in position. You go over and distract him while I—"

Then, Akamaru turned in their direction and started barking.

Kiba flinched. Then he shot out of the bushes and lunged for Akamaru.

The puppy leapt to the side and started running.

_What happened to distracting him? _Midori thought as she ran over to Kiba. "Are you okay, Kiba-kun?"

Kiba punched the ground and spit some dirt out of his mouth and cursed. "I thought Akamaru wouldn't be able to detect us! When I get my hands on him…"

"Kiba-kun?"

"Huh?"

"Maybe we should try a different tactic…"

"Like what?"

Midori shrugged. "Eto…"

Kiba snapped his fingers. "That's it, Midori! You're a genius!"

Midori was confused.

"Follow me!"

---

"Dun, dun, dun-dun-dun, dun, dun, dun, du—"

"Is that absolutely necessary?" Shikamaru said, annoyed.

Nami stared at Shikamaru for a second as if she was processing the thought through her mind.

"Well?"

"Yes."

Shikamaru sighed. This woman might just be more troublesome than Ino.

"Shik! Get down!" Nami grabbed Shikamaru by his hair and forced him down behind a pile of bags.

Shikamaru winced. _And _why _does she keep calling me 'Shik'? Not even 'Shika', just 'Shik'! _

"There he is…" Nami said, eyes narrowed and mouth contorted into a devilish grin.

Shikamaru peered over the bags. It was him, indeed. Hatake Kakashi.

Kakashi was standing in front of a movie theater with a torn look on his face. He was staring up at the sign that read off the movies that would be playing. The one he had particularly taken interest in was written in big black letters.

ICHA ICHA PARADISE: THE MOVIE. RATED R.

_What's he doing? _Nami thought. _Why's he just standing there? _

Little did she know, Kakashi was debating over whether or not to go in.

_Should I? I shouldn't. I was saving this money to get a haircut! _Kakashi thought as he put a hand in his pocket and touched the currency in his pocket. _But…but…I've _gotta _see it…I…I…I…_

Nami blinked then gasped. "Where'd he go?"

"Into the movie theater," Shikamaru answered. "Pretty quickly, I might add."

"Let's go then, Shik!"

"My name's Shikamaru!"

Before the two genin could reach the door, however, they were stopped by the man giving out tickets.

"Hold up, kids," he said, standing in front of the door. "No children under thirteen are allowed unadvised. That's the rule."

"Aw, come on!" Nami argued. "We're practically thirteen! And what kind of rule is that?!"

"Well, would you like to talk to my friend here about the rules?"

A bulky muscular man with a shaven head stepped into view. He had several piercings in some uncomfortable-looking places. Tattoos decorated his muscular arms.

---

"Can't…move…" Kyoko groaned as she fell over.

"I…win…." Naruto declared, patting his belly and burping. Then he fell over as well.

"So, who's paying for all this?"

Kyoko and Naruto sat upright, stiff as boards.

"Naruto/Kyoko!"

Kyoko and Naruto stared at each other with wide eyes.

"I won so you have to pay!"

"That wasn't a deal we made! You ate more so you have to pay!"

"But I don't have any money!"

"I don't either!"

The two slowly turned to the old man with the serious face standing behind the counter.

"Well…since both of you ate so much…" Teuchi loomed over the two nervous ninja gravely.

Kyoko and Naruto faltered, sweating bullets.

"YOU BOTH WILL WORK HERE TILL THE END OF THE DAY!"

"IIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHH?!"

Things were going as well as it could get with the Naruto and Kyoko. Naruto was now in charge of being the shoe chef (a.k.a. the old man's lackey) and Kyoko was the waitress. Teuchi had kindly decided to let his dear daughter have a break for once.

"Eh…maybe it won't be too busy," Naruto said optimistically.

"Yeah," Kyoko nodded. "And maybe cows will fall from the sky and kill us all right now!"

"Hey, what's the matter with you?" Naruto said, taken aback.

Kyoko sighed. "Well…back at home I had to work for my dad sometimes. It _wasn't _fun."

"Oh yeah, you weren't originally from Konoha," Naruto nodded. "Where were you from again?"

"Eh…"

"'Morning, jiisan! One bowl of ramen please!" said a familiar voice.

"Chouji?" Kyoko and Naruto said as Chouji walked in and sat down on one of the chairs. "Huh? Naruto? And…that girl?"

Kyoko raised an eyebrow. "Kyoko."

"Right! Sorry."

---

"Akamaru's not all that bright when it comes to his favorite dog biscuits, you know," Kiba explained as he set out another bone-shaped biscuit and took a step backwards. "So when this trail leads him to the trap we set, we'll have him hook, line, and sinker!"

"Are you sure—"

"Quick, here he comes!" Kiba hissed, grabbing Midori (her cheeks turned unnoticeably red) and hiding behind the wall and a load of garbage.

Midori held her nose and made a face.

"The trash will hide our scents!" Kiba whispered excitedly.

_He really thought this one out…_ Midori thought.

Akamaru trotted past the hidden genin and gobbled up another biscuit contently.

Kiba narrowed his eyes and smirked as his plan was falling into place. "Come on, Akamaru…"

_Three…two…o—_

"OH! What a _CUTE _doggie!"

"Wha…?" Kiba gaped.

A group of teenage girls crowded around the surprised Akamaru. The chipper civilians bounced up and down as each person petted Akamaru and ruffled his fur.

Akamaru desperately tried to escape through the forest of skinny legs but the girls only giggled and picked him up.

Kiba was angry.

Jumping out of his hiding spot suddenly, he shouted, "PAWS OFF MY DOG YA HARPEES!"

The girls screamed at the sight of the wild Inuzuka and ran off.

Kiba, who was breathing pretty hard from his outburst, noticed Akamaru trotting back over to him. With a blank look on his face, he stared at his companion. Akamaru stared back.

"GOTCHA!"

"YIP!"

"Victory!" Kiba exclaimed, holding up the V-sign with one hand and holding Akamaru under his other arm like a sack.

"Great job, Kiba-kun!" Midori praised. "Well, good luck with—"

"Uh…actually, Midori…" Kiba said quietly as he averted his eyes. "Can you uh…help me out with something else…?"

Midori didn't like the sound of this. "Well…okay…" _After all, I didn't really do anything to help him…Besides, how bad can it be?_

---

"Okay, Shik—"

"My name's Shikamaru, damn it!"

"I was _going _to say Shikamaru when you cut me off," Nami said, annoyed.

"Oh."

"You distract the guard and I'll go in."

"Why do _I _have to distract him?"

"_Because _you're the man around here and the man has to get beat up while the woman takes the easy way out."

Shikamaru stared at her incredulously.

"Oops. Did I say that out loud?"

"I'm leaving."

"FINE. Just _let _me go against that big, bad dude who has an evil aura around him and who scares away little kittens and—"

"Fine, fine," Shikamaru said. "Just…stop."

Nami smiled sweetly.

"Troublesome woman," Shikamaru muttered. He figured that once she had gotten into the movie theater _he _could just walk away and forget any of this happened. Turning his head, he saw the guard who was standing in front of the door with his arms crossed. "Anyway, we'll need some kind of plan to—"

"Good luck, Shik!"

Nami had punted Shikamaru out into the open _graciously. _

Shikamaru groaned as he rubbed his backside.

The guard loomed over him, his shadow cast over the lazy genin. "You got business here, boy?"

Shikamaru stood up and dug his hands into his pockets. "You play shougi?"

The guard raised an eyebrow.

"…"

"…"

Nami slapped her forehead.

"DO I?"

_Eh? _Nami thought, peeking towards the two.

"I'm the reigning champ!" the man exclaimed, pulling out a shougi board from behind his back. "How good're you, little man?"

Shikamaru was a little taken aback. His former plan was to question the man's intelligence but… "I play a fair game."

As soon as the first move was made, Nami snuck into the theater behind a couple who was walking in. She stared at them in a disgusted manner as they're lips locked.

"Hey, hey," Nami said, startling the two. "Get a room!"

Then she dashed off, leaving the confused and annoyed couple to only be stopped by yet _another _guard.

"Where do you think you're goin', little lady?"

"Uh…bathroom?"

"The bathroom's that way," the man said, pointing a finger towards none other than the theater bathrooms. Then, jabbing a finger towards the door Nami was about to enter, he said, "And _that _is where the Icha Icha Paradise movie is showing."

"Oh…" Nami said as if she just realized something.

The man stood stonily with his arms folded over his chest.

Nami stared up at him with big, innocent eyes.

Silence.

"LOOK! A THING!"

The man whirled around. "Wait…what?" He turned back around to where the girl used to be standing. Then he noticed the doors behind him slowly rocking back and forth as if something had entered. He clenched his fist. "Nobody gets past Daini."

---

"NARUTO! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

"Eatin'…" Naruto mumbled, his mouth half-full of noodles.

Kyoko bopped him on the head. "BAKA! You're supposed to be paying _off _the ramen you ate _earlier_!"

"OW! But I challenged Chouji to a ramen-eating contest!"

"GACK!"

Kyoko was reminded of Chouji's presence as the boy started choking.

"What's wrong with him?!"

"I don't know! I think he swallowed something too quickly!"

"NAAAAA!" Kyoko clutched her head with a look of horror on her face as Chouji turned blue.

Teuchi had said that business was slow today so he and Ayame went out for a break. WHAT TIMING!

Groaning, Kyoko leapt over the counter and wrapped her arms around Chouji's stomach. Performing the Heimlich maneuver, she squeezed the chubby boy multiple times while Naruto ran around like a crazed chicken with its head chopped off.

Coincidentally, a rather large piece of naruto (the food) that Naruto (the orange-clad ninja) had cut too carelessly flew out of Chouji's mouth.

Kyoko sighed, removing her arms and wiping her brow.

Chouji gasped then turned back to normal color. After beating his chest for a second to make sure he hadn't had a heart attack, he looked at Kyoko. "Thanks."

"No problem…" Kyoko sighed, leaning on the counter.

Chouji just stared at Kyoko. Then he stared at Naruto who had finally stopped running around. Then at Kyoko. Then at Naruto. Then at the ramen.

Kyoko and Naruto gaped as Chouji continued eating the demon noodles that had almost killed him. Okay…

---

_Kakashi…Kakashi…Kakashi…_ Nami thought as she slunk silently through the movie theater. _How hard is it to find hair like that?!_

It seemed that the advertisements were just about done and the movie was about to start.

"OI! DOWN IN FRONT!"

Nami turned around angrily. "SAME TO YOU, BUDDY!" she shouted, shaking a fist in a random direction. It was then she noticed a familiar spiky-haired jounin sitting around the middle. She ducked down, hoping he hadn't heard her.

Luckily, Kakashi seemed too occupied with opening a bag of candy to listen to the shouts of a kunoichi. However, Daini wasn't.

"Hey, you!" he hissed as he grabbed Nami.

"ACK!" Nami screeched as she knocked her head against the man's jaw.

"OW!"

"SHUT UP DOWN THERE!"

The enraged civilian chucked popcorn at Daini who shielded himself with his arms.

Nami took this time to escape the large man. She started running up the walls, chakra bounding her to the plaster. She hopped off the wall and into a seat a few rows above Kakashi. She was about to pounce on him when the movie started.

Nami twitched. _Oh _CRAP.

Outside, Shikamaru had just finished his final move. "I win."

"WHAT? THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!"

"Sorry, man."

The guard sighed.

Before Shikamaru could say anything more, Nami dashed past him. He stood up and called, "Hey, what's the rush?"

"MY EYES! MY EYES! I AM SCARRED! SCAAAAAAAARRRRRREDD!"

Shikamaru sighed. "Women…"

---

"SCAAAAAAAARRRRRREDD!"

"That…sounded a lot like Nami…" Midori said as she held down Akamaru.

"Who?" Kiba said as he scrubbed Akamaru.

"ARF!"

"Almost done, Akamaru! Quit movin' around so much!"

"My teammate," Midori sighed. _How are we ever going to fit in with everyone else here like this? And what could she be _doing? She shook her head. Time could only tell.

* * *

Again, please leave a review! Four reviews is all it takes, everyone! Come on, I know you're reading! Until next time!

-HM


	13. Enter: The Chuunin Exams!

I guess I got to you all! Thanks for the reviews everyone! Of course, I'll keep my part of the deal no sweat! Thanks again!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

Kyoko sat silently on her back, staring up at the cloudless sky in deep thought, which was extremely surprising, Nami would say. It had been weeks since they had an exciting mission. After the Cha no Kuni mission, everything got back to pulling weeds and watering flowers. BORING.

She rolled over onto her stomach and stared thoughtfully at the ladybug crawling determinedly up a stalk of grass and thought about that mission. Sure, she got to knock a few heads, but she couldn't help but be annoyed that _Nami _was the one who had majority importance in the only great mission they had.

The ladybug sprung off of the piece of grass and its wings appeared. Off it flew to some unknown location.

_Hmph…Nami gets the entire spotlight,_ Kyoko thought bitterly. _Marieke-sensei likes her best, I know it…she definitely makes that obvious. If I could just show her what I can do… _She turned her glare towards her bored teammate who was staring at the sky sitting in a criss-crossed position. Her eyes burned with prickly hatred.

Nami, feeling the heat of Kyoko's burning eyes, looked at her teammate with an equal glare, hers full of annoyance and challenge. It was her 'I'm-better-than-you-and-you-know-it' look.

Their lesser competitive teammate noticed the friction between her friends. Only for a second did her look of minor contempt stay on her face. She immediately smiled good-naturedly, "So, what kind of mission do you think sensei will have us do today?"

"Probably a boring one," Nami said, not breaking her invisible line of contact with Kyoko. "Unlike the mission we had a while ago."

"Yeah, because that's the only time _Nami_ was useful," Kyoko shot back. "Any other mission is just another day for her. After all, Midori, you know that she doesn't do anything."

_Uh oh…_ Midori thought, wincing.

"You wanna say that to my face?"

"Gladly!"

"Are you just jealous or something? Huh? Jealous of how awesome _I _am and how _you _didn't do anything important?!"

"I don't need to be jealous of _you_!"

"Kyoko…Nami…"

"STAY OUT OF THIS, MIDORI!" the two girls screamed.

"Good morning, girls!"

"I COULD RIP YOUR COCKY ATTITUDE OUT OF THAT MINDLESS HEAD OF YOURS!"

"MINDLESS? PSH! YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT MINDLESS, STUPID!"

"Um…" Marieke stared at the two screaming girls, then at Midori who was sitting there, watching the sparklers. "What is it this time?"

Midori quickly whispered a summary of what the girls were fighting about. At least, what she _figured _they were fighting about.

Nodding in understanding, Marieke stuck her index finger and thumb into her mouth and whistled. LOUDLY.

The two girls stopped on cue and exclaimed, "Marieke-sensei!"

"That's me," Marieke said, raising an eyebrow. "What exactly do you two think you're doing? This is no way kunoichi should behave."

"She started it!" the two shouted again.

"…Yes, yes, whatever the problem is, fix it," Marieke said. "And fix it soon because I have some very important news."

"What news, sensei?" Midori asked curiously.

Marieke silently held out her hand, three small pieces of paper were between her fingers. "These are forms for a special event Konoha is hosting. I've recommended all three of you for the—"

"Chuunin Exams!" Kyoko exclaimed suddenly. Grabbing a piece of paper within the blink of an eye, she jumped up and cheered loudly. "YES! Chuunin Exams! I love you, sensei!"

Marieke regained her composure from the slight shock of how quickly Kyoko was able to snatch the paper out of her hand. "Hm. I presume you three know all about the Chuunin Exams, huh?"

"That's right!" Kyoko said happily.

"From where?"

"From…Konohamaru, of course!" Kyoko said quickly. "Oh, thank you thank you thank you, sensei!"

"Yes, well, training will be canceled for today so each of you can have some time for yourselves for the Chuunin Exams. The information is on the form. Turn in the form at the designated place at the date stated. Oh, and another thing…"

"Yes?" the girls asked.

"Try not to embarrass me."

POOF.

The forms fluttered to the ground, leaving Midori and Nami to pick up theirs.

"I hate that she never believes in us," Midori said, annoyed. "She thinks we're just kids."

"I don't care, 'cause we're going to the Chuunin Exams!" Kyoko exclaimed, kissing her form.

"Shut up already," Nami said.

"Hmph. We'll see who'll be shutting up once you see how great I'll be in the exams, Nami!" Kyoko proclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah. You'll just have a review of how great _I _am when I wipe you out in the exams."

"You wish!"

And with that, the two girls parted ways.

Midori stood there in silence.

"I'm going _this _way!" Kyoko declared, turning around.

"And I'm going _that _way!" Nami said, walking in the opposite direction.

Now the girls had parted for GOOD. At least…until they all came back to the same apartment.

Midori sweat dropped and looked down at her form. _Chuunin Exams…this'll be good. _

Later that day, Nami was practicing once more in the woods. She had created her own personal training spot that no one else knew about. There was no way she'd let _anyone _interrupt her tree-bashing.

Her fists thumped against the tree in her familiar all-out fighting style. Turning a spinning kick in the air, she embedded a clear mark against the trunk.

"Hmph! Cocky, am I? At least I have something to strut about!" Nami said indignantly. "That Kyoko's just jealous. She's always jealous."

Just as she was about to pummel another tree, she felt the presence of someone else's chakra. Stopping immediately, she tossed a kunai.

A figure jumped out of a bush. It was a rain nin.

"What do you want?" Nami demanded.

"Nothing much…as long as you stay out of the Chuunin Exams!" the ninja said.

"Hmph. Fat chance," Nami said, pulling out more weapons.

"Well then, prepare to die!"

"I was gonna say the same thing!" Nami shouted, throwing the weapons towards the ninja.

He dodged the attacks with ease. "You'll have to do better than that!"

"Oh, I have," Nami said, sneering.

The rain nin heard a soft whistling sound behind him. He turned around in terror as he spotted an exploding note behind him.

BOOM!

The rain nin fell forward, helpless and scorched on the back. He groaned. "Ugh…you are truly a formidable opponent."

"That was nothin'!" Nami mocked. "I don't need to waste my best moves on someone like you!"

"Hmph. We'll see how you do in the Chuunin Exams," he said eerily. Then, he disappeared.

---

"Chuunin Exams equals other ninja equals sand ninja plus me equals Gaara and me!" Kyoko said delightedly, grinning at her wonderful math problem. She was sitting on the rooftop of her and her friends' apartment building, a happy smile on her face. But then, her face was empty. She stared down at her already filled-out form. "I have to beat Nami, no matter what. I'll show her that I can be as good—no! _Better _than her!"

"You're very determined, aren't you?"

Kyoko gasped as a kunai appeared an inch before her throat.

"So determined that you didn't pay attention to an attack. Some kunoichi," said a rain ninja.

Kyoko smirked. "Actually, I am." She disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"A clone?!" the ninja said in surprise.

Several needles shot at him, pinning him to the rooftop. Kyoko flipped into view and landed right above the intruder, looking down at him seriously. "Give me a challenge, will you?"

_I didn't expect this from a genin…but I guess she has a clear advantage anyway, from where she's from, _the rain nin thought. "We'll meet again, Shimizu Kyoko." He made a hand seal and disappeared.

Kyoko plopped back down on the rooftop cheerily. "Well, Iruka-sensei sure knows how to be dramatic! At least…his kage bunshin knows!"

---

_Chuunin Exams already and I haven't made much of an alliance with anyone…looks like it's just the three of us on our own then…_ Midori sighed quietly. _Against the best of the best…including Neji, Lee, and Tenten...this promises to be difficult. And of course, Kyoko and Nami will be not only fighting the other teams, but fighting with each other as well._

She moved down onto the grass of her team's training area. After her teammates left, she hadn't gone anywhere else. She was tired and a bit damp from the independent training, and now she had another goal for the day: think up a strategy to get her team through the Chuunin Exams.

Of course, she was no Shikamaru, but she figured that she would be able to get her team through the exam, pass or fail, without getting killed. That was all that mattered.

Suddenly, a ninja popped out of nowhere in a battle position, a familiar rain nin. "You are the one who is taking the Chuunin Exams with the other two kunoichi, am I correct?"

"Yes, you are," Midori said, slightly annoyed at the fact that Iruka had decided to bother her _now_.

"Well then, you should be a challenge as well!" the ninja continued. "Come and fight unless you want reconsider about taking the exams!"

"Iruka-sensei, I know it's you," Midori said, turning over onto her side and staring at him with a knowing expression on her face.

The ninja's shoulders drooped and a puff of smoke appeared. Iruka stood standing in the ninja's place. "Aw…I forgot you were from the other…universe. From what my other several kage bunshin gathered, Kyoko and Nami are fighting the 'rain nin' as we speak."

"But you're the original, huh?" Midori said. "Kyoko and Nami just want some fun."

"And you don't?"

"I don't want to fight if it isn't necessary," Midori said simply. "Peace is my game."

Iruka looked at her oddly then smiled. "I see. Yes, from the moment I saw you, I knew that you weren't as easily excited as your other two teammates...but you have to fight sometime, especially if you're entering the Chuunin Exams."

"I know that," Midori nodded. "But that's when the time comes. It isn't here yet, Iruka-sensei. And I promise you, I won't flake out."

"I hope so," Iruka said. "But are you sure you want to take the exams? After all, it would bad if you and your friends were…"

"No need to worry about that," Midori said, smilingly. "We're a capable group, even though we don't have any man-power."

"If you think so," Iruka said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment with Kakashi."

Midori nodded. "You two have a bet?"

"…Maybe."

She smiled as the genial teacher disappeared.

---The Next Day---

After receiving her number, Midori walked to her seat, taking notice of where her teammates were. Nami was sitting some seats in front of her, then Kyoko a few seats away from Nami. She sighed. Knowing that the first test required pretty much nothing in Naruto's case, there was about a sixty-seven percent chance that her teammates would do nothing. However, if not only one but _four _papers (including Naruto's) were turned in blank…well, Ibiki would probably be able to piece together the parts of the puzzle. What to do…

As she pondered this, another person took a seat next to her, completely stopping her train of thought and making her feel oddly warm inside.

"Neji…" she whispered.

Neji, hearing his name, looked at her. "Oh. It's you."

Midori crumbled mentally. _Some way to greet a person…_ "Good luck on the exam."

"Luck isn't needed for me," Neji stated.

Midori stared down at the blank side of her exam paper.

As Ibiki started to explain the rules of the exam, Nami balanced her pencil on the table idly. _Keep blabbering, old man…_she thought lazily. _Man, rules are annoying. _Her eyes drooped. _I hate the first exam…_

Tok.

"Huh? Wha?" Nami sat up in her seat, suddenly alert. She rubbed her forehead, feeling a bit of chalk dust. A white stick of chalk was rolling off the table.

"Pay attention! I'm only gonna explain this to you once!" Ibiki barked. "Lazy brats who don't care about things like this usually fail the first exam!"

Kyoko snickered quietly. She was sitting next to Temari. _The first exam and she's already doomed to fail._

Nami glared at him. "Sorry, teach."

Ibiki grunted and turned back to the board. _Little brat… _Suddenly, he whirled around and dodged, just as the same piece of chalk hit the chalkboard.

Tok.

"Why you little…" Ibiki growled.

Nami yawned. "I noticed you were out of chalk and I happened to have some. No need to thank me." Smiling innocently, she rested her head on her arms.

"You're a disrespectful one. Therefore, you'll be starting the test thirty minutes after everyone else. I'll be watching you. Begin!" Ibiki ordered.

Sounds of rustling papers and tapping pencils rang throughout the room.

Nami glared at Ibiki with hatred. Ibiki only smiled evilly.

_That idiot… _Midori thought. _I suppose that means Kyoko and I will have to pass the answers on to her in thirty minutes…_

She looked down at her paper. Her face fell. _No wonder everyone had to cheat…how could Sakura _know _this stuff? _

Midori glanced at her teammates. Nami seemed to be trying to burn a hole in Ibiki head from across the room and Kyoko was hunched over, probably trying to figure out the answers to the questions.

_Well, this isn't a good start, _she thought.

Kyoko tapped her pencil to her head in frustration. _I know this. I know this. I know this. I know this. I…crap! I don't know this! What am I gonna do? Gotta think…gotta think…Gotta…Gotta…Gaara…_Kyoko's mind went blank for a second as her imagination drifted to the worshipping of her not-so-secret crush. A content expression crossed her face.

Ibiki, who had studied the looks of everyone in the room for the past few minutes stared at Nami, then Kyoko, then Midori. He had been told by one of the chuunin who were assisting him with the exam that those three were on the same team; all kunoichi. _Let's see…one seems frustrated…that's normal…but then the other looks happy…odd…and the other is trying to burn a hole in my head, _Ibiki thought, amused. Then he noticed the necklace hanging from Midori's neck and frowned. _That's the Hikari Suishou…hm…so I have one of the five percent of Dokutsugakure's Hikari Clan that's still alive in my exam…interesting. _

Midori closed her eyes. _Meikakugan! _Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing a different gaze. Her pupils had turned white and her irises had turned pure black. Midori felt her eyes pulse slightly. She stared forward, her eyes penetrating the air. Two seats forward and one seat right, she could spot a test with writing already written.

The writing started to get clearer, sharpening the image. She could read the writing perfectly and immediately began jotting it down.

_Thank you, bloodline! _Midori thought victoriously. _Now…to get the info to Kyoko and Nami… _

Nami sat idly in her chair. Her time limit was just about up. She eagerly watched the clock. She knew what she had to do, and she had to do it before she forgot.

_There! Thirty minutes! _Nami immediately grabbed her pencil and started scribbling on her paper.

Ibiki watched with interest. _Hm…is she really that smart? Does she know the answers? _Curiously, he walked around the room as if he were checking to see that no one was cheating. He passed the blond boy who was a complete wreck. The Uchiha didn't look busy; is paper was already finished. The pink-haired girl was inspecting her paper...He saw the white-eyed boy working on his, then the Hikari girl…

He turned a corner and passed by Nami, glancing down inconspicuously at her work. What he saw made his mouth gape open for a slight second.

She was writing—no, _drawing _on the...back of her test. And what was it she drew? A picture of the Uchiha boy…

Okay, so Ibiki had seen many tests with pictures of people who loved others on the back with hearts and stars and wedding processions, everything. But it seemed that Nami had other ideas.

There was a fairly-drawn Sasuke lying on the ground…with X eyes…in a pool of what looked to be blood…several kunai and shuriken stabbing into his backside…with Nami standing triumphantly above him.

Ibiki looked at the girl with a raised eyebrow, but passed by her quickly before she noticed him. _That girl…there's something wrong with her…_

_

* * *

So, I think I have a bit of explaining to do!_

If I haven't mentioned before, I'll mention now. 'Hikari Suishou' means 'Light Crystal' if my bilingual dictionary is correct. More info about it will be mentioned later.

I made up Dokutsugakure a.k.a. the Village Hidden in the Caves (cheesy and cliche, I know) which is a village located in the small Light Country (don't hurt me) which is where Midori originated from. She's apart of the Hikari Clan and there will be more info on her background later...much later.

Meikakugan I got from "Meikaku" meaning "clear cut" or "precise" and stuck "gan" at the end. Meikakugan basically lets the user see a single object or area sharply. The only problem is when its activated, everything else turns blurry to enhance the desired spot. So its an imperfect Byakugan.

That's about it! Come back tomorrow for the next chapter, it'll be up! R&R please!

-HM


	14. Split Up

Okay, so its Tuesday "morning", almost one o'clock and I'm hyped up on iced tea and icecream. YUM. And, remembering that I would update everyday this week I decided, "Why not?" So anyway, thank you for the people who reviewed chapter 13, that is, kelseyrianne and Shiori Kurokase! Love you guys!

I noticed in the last chapter I said "rain ninja" instead of what it REALLY was which is "grass ninja". Heh. Whoops. Like it matters...

ANYWAY! Enjoy the chapter! And I'm glad I didn't get any projectiles thrown at me for the cheesy and over-used original country and clan/bloodline thing...yet. That shows you guys care.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

Nami yawned. _Man…I'm so sleepy…maybe training so late at night wasn't a good idea…_

Before she knew it, she was fast asleep.

Kyoko's ears twitched as she heard a soft snoring. Turning around, her eyes burned as she saw Nami fast asleep. _That idiot! What's wrong with her?! Sleeping now?! _Then her eyes fell back on the test hopelessly. _Oh…I'd be better off sleeping too! I can't get any of these questions! ARGH! _

A sudden rush of warmth covered her body. _Huh? What's with my body? _

"_Kyoko!"_

_Huh? Midori? _Kyoko thought. She shook her head furiously. _Now I'm hearing things! This test is making me go nuts! _

"_No, it's me," Midori said._

_What? How?_

"_A little thing I like to call Hidden Speech no Jutsu," Midori said._

_Sensei taught you that? How come I didn't hear about it?!_

"_That's not important now! I have the answers to the test, so write them down now!"_

_Okay, okay. Man…nobody tells me anything anymore…_

Once Midori had finished with Kyoko, she went straight onto Nami. Making the hand signs, she whispered, "Hidden Speech no Jutsu."

"_Nami, I have the answers to the questions, so—"_

Nami snored.

Midori sweat dropped with an annoyed expression on her face.

"_Nami, wake up! NAMI!"_

Nami immediately awoke. "AH!"

All heads turned towards the screaming girl.

Ibiki glared at her.

Midori sunk in her seat and covered her face.

_Some teammate, _Neji thought with a smirk.

Kyoko wished she had a camera.

Nami looked around and scratched her head. "Um…I…uh...eto...stabbed myself with...the pencil…"

Silence.

Everyone turned back to their tests. Nami let out a breath.

"_Smooth." _

_Shut up, _Nami thought bitterly. _What do you want, Midori? And how the heck did you get into my head?_

"_Hidden Speech no Jutsu. No sweat." _

_Marieke-sensei showed it to _you

"_Is that so unbelievable?"_

_I guess not. What do you want?_

"_To give you the answers. You obviously can't do this on your own."_

_I can so! You don't even have to _do _anything!_

"_Just listen up and write down the answers, okay?"_

_Yeah, yeah, yeah. _

"Time's up!" Ibiki shouted. "And now…we will begin the tenth question."

The room was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Everyone waited anxiously for the proctor to continue.

"Now, before we get to it, I'd like to add some rules."

The room tensed.

_Creak. _

Everyone turned to see Kankuro standing in the doorway with a "ninja".

Ibiki smirked. "Nice timing. I hope your doll-playing was beneficial."

Kankuro flinched. _He saw through Karasu! _

"Just sit down."

As Kankuro passed, Kyoko noticed him drop something on the table for Temari.

"I'll now explain. These are the rules…"

---

Marieke sat in a room with Kakashi, alone. Asuma and Kurenai had stopped by, but left earlier before.

"So, how do you think your students are fairing, Marieke?" Kakashi asked.

"Hmph. I really doubt they'll get past the first exam," Marieke said, sighing. "If they do, they'll never get past the second exam."

"Why act so doubtful?" Kakashi asked. "After all, you said yourself that they had grown over the first high-ranking mission. And besides, you were the one who recommended them."

Marieke scratched her cheek sheepishly. "Yes, well…I didn't really want to be left out. Even Gai's students entered this time and…well…you get the point."

"Ah…" Kakashi said, amused. "So what you're saying is that you don't think they're good enough to be chuunin?"

"Nope. They lack a lot of things, that's for sure."

"You make them sound as if all their qualities are bad."

"Well, Kyoko's easily distracted and daydreams all too much. Not to mention she's noisy half the time I'm with her. Then there's Nami who wants to rule the world and constantly bothers Kyoko and gets herself into too many fights. And Midori…well, she's mature, but she can act like a complete control freak and she's not much of a fighter…"

"I see…" Kakashi said. His eye closed into a happy arch. "We can't choose are students, can we? I'd gladly trade my students with your all-female team."

"Kakashi...you pervert."

---

Back in the classroom, Ibiki had finished explaining the rules. "So, basically you must choose between taking the question and not."

"What if we choose not to?! What happens then?!" Temari shouted.

"Owie…" Kyoko mumbled, rubbing her ear.

"If you choose not to, your points will be reduced to zero and…YOU FAIL ALONG WITH YOUR TEAMMATES!"

Everyone gasped.

"Then of course we'll take the question!" someone shouted.

"And the other rule is…if you choose to take it and answer wrong…that person will lose the right to partake in the Chuunin Exams ever again!"

"WHAT KIND OF STUPID RULE IS THAT?!"

Ibiki turned his attention to Kiba who had had a complete outburst. _What a noisy bunch of kids…_

"There are people who took this exam before!"

Ibiki chuckled. "Then those guys were lucky enough to have other examiners…however, this year…I'm making the rules. But I feel a bit benevolent today. Those who want to become chuunin…may refuse the question and try again next year." He paused, scanning the faces of genin. "Those who want to try again next year, raise your hand."

---

"The exam should be over soon," Marieke said. She stood up. "Well, I should go get my students then."

"You still think they're unable to pass?"

"From what I've seen from Ibiki, there's no way they'd be able to. He'd crack them like an egg," Marieke said without a doubt. She turned to him with a smile underneath her mask. "But you're students, Kakashi…you've got the Uchiha…and the Kyuubi boy. They'll surely become chuunin."

"…"

"And Gai…he has the Hyuuga genius, a weapons specialist, and a boy with muscles hard as rock. Even Kurenai has three students from different clans with special abilities and Asuma has a team that uses teamwork. And what do I have?" She looked down. "A big-shot troublemaker, a peace-maker who can barely fight, and a jealous big mouth. They were just lucky on the first mission, I'm sure. Goodbye, Kakashi."

"Goodbye, Marieke."

When Marieke reached the classroom, she heard a commotion going on inside. The breaking of glass…!

She looked through the window and sweat dropped. _Anko…_

Mitarashi Anko was shouting about something or other in the room, a banner behind her and Ibiki looking a bit miffed. _That means the exam has ended. _She searched the room, and to her amazement, her students were still there.

Marieke smiled a bit. _So they're still in the game? Hmph. Maybe they didn't get lucky during the mission…maybe it wasn't luck…or maybe I'm just paranoid. We'll see. _

---

"Oh yeah! The first exam was a piece of cake!" Kyoko said victoriously.

"Yeah right, you were panicking," Nami pointed out.

"_Not _the point! The point is that we pulled through and now we're another step ahead to becoming chuunin!" Kyoko exclaimed.

"Don't forget that the next exam is the Forest of Death," Midori warned. "There's no doubt it'll be tougher than some written exam."

"Speak for yourself, Midori!" Nami said. "Out of the three of us, Kyoko and I think that you're probably the one who'll pass out during the next exams, no offense. You just don't have the shinobi blood in you, you know?"

"I don't, do I?" Midori said, a bit offended.

"It's nothing like that, Midori-chan!" Kyoko said quickly. "It's just that…you know, you're too…nice sometimes. You understand, right?"

Midori glared. "Do you guys mean to say that I'll be holding you back in the exams to come?"

Her two teammates glanced at each other hesitantly.

"I see. Well, don't count on it," Midori said seriously. "I intend to become a chuunin." Without another word, she walked away.

"Hey, where are you going?" Kyoko called.

"To the library."

Once she was out of sight, Kyoko stared at Nami with an I-Can't-Believe-You look.

"What?" Nami said innocently. "If we're gonna live in this world, we all have to toughen up. It's only natural. You have to admit it; I know you know I'm right."

"…Yeah…"

"Well, see ya."

"Now where are _you _going?"

"Training, where else? We've barely gotten any from Marieke-sensei and I have half a day to get my strength up for the second exam. If you were smart, you would do the same."

She disappeared.

Kyoko stood still for a moment. _Nami's right…about both things. If we don't harden our souls and mind, we won't get along well in this world. Nami and I won't have trouble with that, but Midori sure will…_

---

Midori had entered the library, one of her favorite places of all time in Konoha since it was so quiet. Searching through books and scrolls, she found a particular text that interested her greatly. It was simply labeled _Medical Ninjutsu and the Human Body_.

Sitting down, Midori flipped to the Table of Contents. _Nami and Kyoko may not think too much about this because they're so concentrated on strength and brute force…however, if I learn medical ninjutsu, I'll be able to pass us all and increase the chances of living in this vicious world…survival is the key._

Then, Nami and Kyoko's words ran through her head.

**"…_Kyoko and I think that you're probably the one who'll flake out during the next exams…"_**

**"…_You're too…nice sometimes. You understand, right?"_**

**"_You just don't have the shinobi blood in you…" _**

"I'll show them," Midori said, clutching the book tightly. "They wouldn't be able to get through the exams without my help. And I'll show them…that I _do _have shinobi blood."

---

"Hee-yah!" Nami flipped in the air and axe-kicked a training dummy, then landed softly on the ground. She twirled around and several projectiles shot from her hands, nailing the targets some meters away. Dropping to the ground, she shifted her weight and attacked another training dummy. After finishing the newly thought up combo, her breath was heavy.

She wiped the sweat dripping from her face and looked around the beaten training site, satisfied. "The Forest of Death will be a cinch."

---

Kyoko continuously punched a tree furiously. Although her knuckles burned with pain, she didn't hesitate.

_This was the way Lee got good, so this is how I'm going to do it, _Kyoko thought determinedly.

She was about to strike the tree once more when another wave of shooting pain crossed from her fist through her arm. She cried out and started shaking her throbbing hand in an attempt to ease the sting.

"Owie…" she groaned. "Then again…Lee didn't get good until years later…"

She shook her head briskly. "No! No! No! I _have _to get better! I can do this!"

She slammed her hand against the bark again, wincing. "Maybe I should try a different approach…"

---The Next Day---

All the lucky ninja who passed the first exam had all gathered to the place we know as the Forest of Death. As Anko explained the rules on loud terms, the three otherworldly kunoichi sat themselves down in the far back away from everyone else, not paying any attention.

"Okay, so we definitely had an advantage in the first exam, but the other two are going to rely on strength, skill, and stamina," Midori whispered. "Knowing about everyone else's jutsus is going to make things a little easier, but we still won't be able to win unless we think up a good strategy."

"Psh. Our strategy is to kick butt and gain scrolls," Nami said. "Nothing to it."

Midori glared at her. "You think it's that easy? We could _die _here, you know?"

"I know that. But you've been busy making alliances, right?" Nami said. "As long as we get some help, we'll probably make it through this easy."

"Eheh…about that…" Midori rubbed the back of her neck earnestly.

Kyoko and Nami glanced at each other doubtfully.

"Hey! It's not _my _fault you guys terrorize everyone!" Midori said defensively.

"Well whatever! We don't need any other people anyway! We can kick anyone's butt and steal their scroll anyway."

"Sh! Keep it down," Midori hissed. "Nobody else knows about the exam."

Midori flinched as she felt a tap on her shoulder. _Oh no…did someone hear us?_ She slowly turned around.

"Hey, pay attention, girl," Zaku said, sticking what was left of the forms into her hands. "Don't look so stupid, pass them."

Midori nodded and took one, then passed it on to her teammates.

"That was Zaku!" Kyoko squealed quietly. "Oh, I can't believe it!"

"Mm," Midori nodded distantly.

After Zaku had passed the papers onto the girls, he got back to his team, smirking. "You hear that, Dosu?"

"Indeed," Dosu nodded. "Those girls know all about these exams, I presume."

"Do you think they can predict the future?" Kin asked.

"Best to tell Orochimaru-sama about it," Dosu said. "Along with his little lackey." He glanced over at Kabuto. "He would want to know about it."

"Do we attack them during the exam?" Zaku asked.

"No. We have one target only right now. The Uchiha."

The other two nodded.

"Still, if we run into them, it would be fun to introduce ourselves," Kin said, smiling deviously.

"All right, everybody! When I call your team, come up to receive your scroll! Then go with a chuunin to the designated gate! Once I say to begin, you can start! Oh, and one more piece of advice: Don't die!"

When the girls were called, they obtained an Earth Scroll which Kyoko had volunteered to keep. The girls followed the chuunin to one side of the chained-up forest. The chuunin stood near the gate and said, "I've never seen a three-woman team before." He had an amused tone.

"Is that a problem?" Nami challenged.

"Yeah, what's it to ya?" Kyoko demanded.

"Guys, don't start picking fights now!" Midori scolded, whacking her teammates upside the head with her two free hands.

"Hey!" Nami and Kyoko shouted.

Midori glared at them.

The chuunin laughed. "No, no, don't start any commotions. Save it for the forest. I was just making an observation."

"START! THE SECOND EXAM HAS BEGUN!" rang Anko's voice loudly.

Suddenly, the gates rose and the girls charged into the forest swiftly. They leapt into the trees, stepping on upcoming tree branches every few seconds. After a while, they stopped.

"Stick together, okay?" Midori said to her teammates. "There's a good chance we'll run into another Konoha team. However, we don't want to mess with any of them at the moment. Or Suna. So if we see them, the plan is to get away without taking their scrolls."

"Aw…" Kyoko and Nami groaned.

"Geez, Midori, you're no fun at all," Nami said. "Why can't we prevent Sasgay from passing?"

"Because _Sasuke _is on the same team as _Naruto _and if they don't pass there'll be a major plot hole in the story!" Midori said irritably. "We'll just have to steal from one of the other villages."

"Psh. What's with your battle plans? There's never any battling!" Kyoko complained.

Midori glared. "I'd rather not get wounded badly, thank you. These are the _top _ninja from all shinobi villages. It's not like they're clumsy and inexperienced!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

Sounds of terrified screaming rang throughout the murderous forest.

"And there goes the first team," Nami said nonchalantly. "Now _there's _a team with experience."

Midori stood there with a rain cloud over her head. "Whatever."

"Now that we've established that you aren't _always _right," Kyoko said, glancing at her teammates slyly. "_Who's _gonna think up the new plan filled with lots of action?!"

"I got it!" Nami said quickly. "We all split up and meet at the tower and if we run into anyone and I mean _anyone _we beat the crap out of him!"

Midori and Kyoko were silent.

"That is the complete opposite of _my _plan!" Midori exclaimed, fuming.

"I know."

"I like it!" Kyoko declared.

"We can't just do that!" Midori protested. "That plan is completely based on uncertainty and your and Nami's will to jump into any battle and—"

"_Fine_ Midori! We'll let democracy decide!" Nami interrupted. "All in favor for _my _awesome and well-thought-out plan, raise your hand!"

Kyoko and Nami's hands shot up.

"And Midori's plan," Nami said unenthusiastically.

Midori stood there, glaring daggers at her two cheerful teammates.

"Gasp! Midori! You didn't vote!" Nami gasped dramatically.

"Be quiet," Midori grumbled with a vein pulsing off the side of her head. She turned to the left and jumped onto a tree. Looking back, she said, "I'm taking this route then. See you there. Good luck with finding a scroll."

Once she left, Nami smirked and held out her hand for a high-five.

Kyoko, was about to slap her hand when Nami quickly slipped her hand back and fixed her hair.

"Too cool for you!" Nami declared.

Kyoko scowled. "I don't have time for this!" She appeared on a tree to the right and stopped. She turned around and smirked. "I bet I'll get there before you." With those final words, she disappeared.

"What?! You—" Nami growled as she started forward. "In your dreams!"

Thus began the now-solo journeys through the Forest of Death.

* * *

Well, we got past the first exam, but its NOTHING compared to the Forest of Death! Finally, some more encounters with the others! What's going to happen? OMG

R&R please! And come back tomorrow for the next chappie!

Also, if there's ANYTHING I can do to improve, please say the word! And just so I don't take credit for randomly spouting this, I'd like to thank Shiori Kurokase for making me think and giving me the ambition to be better. That is, ANNOUNCING that I want to be better. So before I start on a rant about myself obviously wanting to be better inside, I'll just stop myself now. Until next time!

-HM


	15. Deadly Encounters of the Worst Kind

Okay, my sleeping habits are back to normal now! Sort of...And thanks for the reviews, everyone! Thanks for all the help too!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

On another note, good news! Nami just got an FF account yesterday and I'm her official beta-reader! Of course, there's the three-day wait until she can put anything up, but I hope you'll all read her stories when she posts them! (I'll give you guys more info when the time comes.)

Enjoy!

* * *

Nami leapt through the thick trees speedily, wind rushing through her hair. She was determined to get to the tower before her two teammates with _ten _scrolls if she had to. There was no way her teammates would beat her. And once again, she, Kawa Nami, would express her extreme superiority over the other two _lesser _kunoichi again. She'd show her teammates that she totally knew what she was doing.

"I can finish this exam all on my own," Nami declared. "No help from Midori and _especially _Kyoko is needed!"

---

Midori ran through the forest, her feet moving over the woodland floor silently. Many thoughts raced through her mind, and she had instantly regretted leaving her team to figure out a better strategy themselves _if _they did.

_Marieke-sensei said that teamwork is the key to victory, _she thought. _But it looks like our team will have to find a skeleton key…Kyoko and Nami are just impossible. _

Feeling a bit guilty about herself, she decided that if she ran into her teammates, she wouldn't just leave again. That wasn't her style, and as much as she didn't want to admit it, she was a bit afraid to be traveling through the forest alone. After all, the place was called the 'Forest of Death' for a reason.

---

Kyoko hopped onto a branch and stopped to listen to the sounds of her current area. It was only the first day, but that didn't mean she couldn't get a scroll quickly, right? Right.

Suddenly, she spotted something strange on the ground. Dropping down, she picked it up and let it fall through her fingers. It was sand.

"Sand!" Kyoko exclaimed. Then she covered her mouth, realizing her apparent noisiness. If there was sand, then that could only mean… "Gaara…" With a smile on her face, she continued with a new, quickened pace.

A few minutes later, she decided to check if she was getting any closer. Using Shino's technique, she lowered her head and listened with her ear near the ground. After a while, she gave up. "How the heck does Shino do that?" she wondered.

Then she heard a loud scream. She didn't need any technique to hear that. Following the scream, she stopped on a tree branch and gazed down just in time to see a group of people, nine to be exact. Three of those people were Team Eight who were watching the same scene unfold terrifyingly. Then there were Temari and Kankuro who were watching their little brother encase two Rain nin with sand. Said brother, Gaara, was closing his hand into a fist. The last two were assured to be dead in a matter of seconds.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"Well what do you know, they had the scroll we needed," Kankuro said, wiping some blood off of the scroll that belonged to one of the formally live Rain nin. "Let's head on to the tower then."

"Not yet," Gaara growled. "We have some spectators I'd like to take care of."

"Haven't you had enough?" Kankuro questioned, obviously annoyed.

"Yeah, Gaara, we got the scroll," Temari reasoned nervously. "There's no need to continue eliminating the other teams."

"Yeah, so cork up that gourd of yours and let's go," Kankuro said.

"Shut up," Gaara said.

"Listen up you little brat," Kankuro said angrily, grabbing hold of the younger brother's tan strap. "I'm your older brother, so do as I say! Listen to your brother for once!"

"I never thought of you as a brother," Gaara said as his sand started to move towards the bushes.

Behind their not-so-secret hiding spot, Kiba, Hinata, and Shino tensed as sand started to fly restlessly around them.

"We gotta get out of here!" Kiba shouted.

"I-I can't move!" Hinata cried.

"The sand is encasing us…" Shino said urgently. "We can't escape!"

"Gaara!" Temari exclaimed.

"STOP GAARA!"

Suddenly a figure dropped down and grabbed Gaara by the shoulders, pushing their own body against his. A girl. "Don't kill them!"

"Who the…_what _are you?!" Kankuro demanded perplexedly.

Gaara, who was stunned, lost control of the sand. His eyes were wide.

_She's…she's _hugging _Gaara?!_ Temari stared at the girl.

"You guys get out of here!" Kyoko ordered, turning her head towards the three clan members.

Team Eight, who were extremely confused obeyed and disappeared out of sight.

Gaara had gotten over his shock and now sand was rushing around Kyoko. The sand pulled the girl off with some difficulty and Gaara glared at her. "What do you think you're doing?"

Kyoko was silent. She stared hard at Gaara as if she was trying to penetrate through his thick outer shell.

Gaara glowered back. More sand started to run against the ground quickly, swirling around Kyoko.

"Is that girl crazy?" Kankuro whispered to Temari anxiously. "This'll be one of his pointless kills."

"Yeah…wait a minute…" Temari said. "This girl…we've seen her before! She's...she's everywhere!"

_**Flashback**_

**_Temari was walking through the Konoha market. Since _she _was the only one who cooked (not very well, I might add) _she _had to get the groceries as well. As she shifted through some green vegetables, she heard a voice._**

"_**Hey!" **_

_**Temari looked up to see a black-haired girl with a cheerful smile. **_

"_**Uh…do I know you?"**_

"_**No," the girl said. **_

"_**What do you want?"**_

"_**I'm Kyoko," the girl said, still smiling and thrusting her hand out. **_

"_**Yeah…" Temari said, staring at Kyoko's hand. "I'm gonna go now."**_

_**End Flashback**_

_**Flashback**_

**Hmph. That noisy little blond from before is at it again, _Temari thought. Her eyes trailed around the room. _Looks like there are a lot of participants here. **

**_Then she saw..._her.**

_**Kyoko noticed Temari stare at her for a second. She smiled and waved.**_

_**Temari twitched. **_

_**End Flashback**_

_**Flashback**_

**_Temari sat in her designated seat, wondering when this old guy would finish talking. Resting her chin on her palm, she sighed._**

"_**Hi, Temari!"**_

**_Temari almost fell out of her chair. _That voice! _"It's you!"_**

"_**You remember?" Kyoko smiled.**_

**What are the odds? _Temari thought helplessly._**

**_End Flashback _**

Her visions were interrupted by a painful scream, but oddly...it did not belong to Kyoko.

"Gaara!" Kyoko exclaimed.

Gaara had collapsed to his knees, a hand clutching his head, his sand receding. A flashback of Yashamaru sped through his mind. Only for a second, but it was enough.

"Get away from me!" Gaara ordered, shakily holding out his fist.

The sand pushed Kyoko away roughly, and when Gaara gave her an intense glare, she disappeared.

"Gaara, are you all right?" Temari asked with sisterly concern. "What happened?"

"...Nothing," Gaara mumbled, regaining his composure. "Let's go to the tower now."

He started walking away, and with slightly confused looks, his siblings followed.

As Kyoko stopped at a good distance from the Sand Siblings, she looked back as though she wanted to see them again. _What was wrong with Gaara? And why did he let me go? _There were so many questions the kunoichi wanted to ask, but she knew there was no one who would know the answers.

She realized that if her friends would probably have encounters similar to hers, their lives were on the line. Knowing that, she knew that she had to find them again. There was no way they would get off as easily as she had.

---

Walking through the forest nonchalantly with her hands entwined behind her head, Nami had not a care in the world. _Man, this forest sure is boring. I haven't met anyone around here yet. It's like there _are _no ninja in the area…_

Suddenly, she stopped. She closed her eyes and tried to sense who was near.

Two…no, three people…one was inhuman…

_That could only mean one thing, _she thought with a smirk. She darted up into the trees and continued on.

The courageous girl stopped when she saw the three figures. Two, Sasuke and Sakura, were standing at a ready position and a grass nin was a few meters away, holding up a scroll.

"I bet you'd like to get your hands on my Earth Scroll," the grass nin a.k.a. Orochimaru smiled widely. Then, he opened his mouth and pushed the scroll down his throat, licking his lips.

_Ew…_ Nami thought with disgust.

The grass nin made a hand seal and Nami saw Sasuke and Sakura freeze in total terror. She watched as sweat ran down Sasuke's face, his eyes widening. Tears were running down Sakura's cheeks as a look of despair cursed her features. Both were shaking madly as they were brought down to their knees. They sat there, powerless and fearful of the enemy standing a short distance away. They needed help.

_Dang it, where's my camera when I need it? _Nami thought irritably.

"Now to finish you off," she heard the grass nin say.

The ninja in disguise let loose two kunai heading straight for Sasuke and Sakura.

Sasuke was inching to move his hand which was wrapped around his own kunai knife. _Move, Sasuke! MOVE! _

TOK! TOK!

The grass nin frowned.

Before the two kunai could hit the teammates, Sasuke had stabbed himself in the leg, breaking the genjutsu he had placed on the younger ninja. The Uchiha boy also grabbed Sakura and ran off without a trace.

_Well done, _the grass nin thought. _Inflicting pain on himself to dispel the genjutsu…very good…_

Sasuke was panting terribly as he pulled the kunai out of his leg with a grunt.

"Sasuke-kun, are you all right?" Sakura asked immediately, eyes hilled with concern.

Sasuke didn't answer her. He sensed someone coming. Standing up with a bit of difficulty, he grasped the now bloodied kunai in a battle position.

"Sup, Sasgay!"

Sasuke sweat dropped as Nami dropped down from the sky. Sasuke flopped down into a sitting position, still breathing hard. "Oh. It's just you."

"_Just _me?" Nami said, with false offense. Then she looked at his wound. "What's up with you? Trying to win the emo award? I'd go for the wrists."

"I don't have time for this," Sasuke said. "A grass ninja is after us."

"Too much for the great Uchiha to handle alone?" Nami smirked.

"Shut up and leave," Sasuke said. "I don't need you here screwing around."

"Yeah, Nami! If you want to help then you can just leave. There's no reason for you to be here. Can't you see that Sasuke-kun's hurt? If you're just going sit around bugging us, then—"

Sasuke, who had had enough of Sakura's constant lip-flapping, covered her mouth.

Nami crossed her arms.

"Both of you shut up," Sasuke ordered as he glanced around. _This _was the reason he didn't like girls.

_Hmph. Sasgay's totally out of it, _Nami thought. _He's getting paranoid. _

It was a second late that she felt the presence of—

"Sasuke-kun, look out!" Sakura screamed as she pulled his hand off of her mouth.

Sasuke turned around and his eyes widened as he saw the giant snake coming straight at the three.

The Konoha nins separated as the snake smashed into the tree branch.

"Get away!" Sasuke hollered as he let loose several projectiles into the mouth of the cobra, instantly killing it.

As the snake fell across the branch, lifeless, something seemed to rise out of its head, tearing the skin. It was the grass ninja.

_Orochimaru! _Nami thought.

Orochimaru looked towards Nami with a frown. "Another one? My, my. You are _quite _the ladies' man, aren't you Sasuke-kun? Have you come to help your friends?" He licked his lips eerily. "No matter. You only added to the amount…of prey…"

Nami narrowed her eyes. "You wanna say that to my face?!" She reached into her holster and aimed several kunai and shuriken at the disguised snake.

Orochimaru dodged the weapons with ease. "You'll have to do better than that, my dear."

"RAH!" Nami shouted as she shot off of her branch and towards the enemy, kunai in hand.

Orochimaru pulled out his own kunai and the two weapons clashed.

Nami, who was still in midair, flipped over the snake's head and spun, aiming a kick towards his head.

Orochimaru dodged to the side swiftly and threw a well-endeavored punch at the genin.

Nami suddenly felt herself fly back at a frightening speed. Her heart raced, her vision blurred, and her stomach felt like a hole was blown right through. Suddenly, she felt the presence of Orochimaru appearing behind her and felt another powerful slam to the back. She coughed as blood forced itself out of her mouth.

With an amused sneer, Orochimaru sent a few kunai flying, sufficiently pinning Nami face-forward into one of the trees. Dropping down behind her, he said, "Now that wasn't as entertaining as I thought it was. And for a second I thought you may be a little less than a threat."

"You…you bas—"

"Now, now, watch your language, my dear," Orochimaru hissed, smiling. "Now, if you don't make a fuss, I _might_ let you go alive."

Nami struggled to break free, but from her position it was a futile attempt. Then, from the corner of her eye, she saw Sakura staring up seemingly at Sasuke worriedly.

"Hey! Sakura!" she called, gaining her attention. "Don't be useless and take out these kunai!"

Sakura looked annoyed for a split second, but appeared next to her, immediately taking out the weapons. "What will _you_ be able to do?"

"More than you think," Nami answered. With that, she accelerated forward, running up the sides of the branches and hopping from one to the other. She caught sight of Orochimaru slinking along a particularly large branch like a reptile towards the paralyzed Sasuke. With a great leap, she landed her fist against Orochimaru's extended back, causing him to snap back into a normal shape.

Sasuke's eyes widened.

Orochimaru turned his head and hissed. "You!"

Nami smirked. "Normally I wouldn't be the one to save Uchiha. But you offended me, so I had no choice."

* * *

DUN DUN DUN. CLIFFIE! (dodges tomatoes)

I feel like my number of reviews per chapter is pretty sufficient and I'm content with it, but I'd like to thank RebelFlame for reviewing since day one because I don't think I've ever thanked you! (You'd think I would have...) Anyway, just wanted you to know I appreciate that! And of course, I love ALL my loyal reviewers, so keep R&R-ing and I'll keep updating! Until next time!

-HM


	16. Enemy or Ally?

Thanks for the reviews! Only three more days until my promise is fully kept! I'm fired up! (fiery eyes)

NEW: I made a flash! (cheers) The link's in my profile, so go there if you'd like to view it! It's just to give you all an idea of what the three of us look like in the Narutoverse. Sure, its not all that AWESOME or anything, but it took me a while to make it and my friends thought I should put it up. XD

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**_

* * *

Last time on Narutoverse no Jutsu... _**

_**Nami smirked. "Normally I wouldn't be the one to save Uchiha. But you offended me, so I had no choice."****

* * *

**_

Orochimaru smiled evilly. "My, you _are _a persistent one." In half a second, Orochimaru's tongue lashed out towards Nami.

Nami darted to the left just in time, leaving the disgusting tongue to snap at the ground where she had been standing seconds ago. Taking out some kunai and making a few basic hand signs, she threw the knives which then seemed to quadruple in number.

Orochimaru scoffed as he dodged the weapons. "A basic kunai bunshin? You're very stingy with your chakra use." Then his eyes widened slightly as he recognized the last hand sign she made. _An activation?! _

Orochimaru shot down from the branch onto a lower one as a fatal explosion detonated behind him. The heat of the explosion skimmed the back of his neck. He licked his lips hungrily.

Sasuke had escaped just in time as well, landing on a branch perpendicular to Orochimaru's. "Hey! Watch it!" he shouted angrily.

"_Sorry_!" Nami apologized, not feeling sorry at all. _Looks like simple attacks won't work…guess I'll have to use them now then…_

Biting her thumb, she made several hand signs. Then, pulling her arm across her neck in a diagonal line, she lashed her arm out, the familiar sai appearing out of her sleeve. The fire kanji gleamed in the little sunlight the dim forest had to offer.

"What's this? The little girl has a toy?" Orochimaru said mockingly.

"Yeah, wanna play?" Nami shot back. Sending chakra through the hilt of her sai to the blade, she started running. As she hopped branch from branch, getting closer to the imposter, the blade started to glow red with chakra. The kanjis on both sides of the blade lit up.

Sasuke watched in amazement. _Since when does she have such a powerful weapon? That was definitely not made by any old blacksmith. _

"Take this!" Nami started to swing her sai expertly at Orochimaru, single-minded to land a hit. The swift motions of the blade amazed even Nami herself, not recognizing the strength she now felt. Her eyes narrowed with determination, looking for an opening and keeping her eyes on the darting enemy. _NOW! _Her eyes widened as she stabbed the sai narrowly through the man's stomach.

Orochimaru's eyes were filled with surprise.

Nami was breathing hard as sweat ran down her cheek. Panting, she smiled triumphantly. "Heh…gotcha…" Then it was her turn to look with shock.

POOF.

"Kawarimi!" Nami shouted as a kunai come into view an inch before her neck.

"That's right," Orochimaru said silkily. "It was a good try though. However, your attempts were in vain."

_Damn…_Nami thought, clenching her teeth.

"Katon! Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

Fire burned the air as Orochimaru was sent backwards in an effort to escape being sautéed.

"Need help?" Sasuke called to Nami.

Nami quietly examined the Uchiha. It seemed that his chakra was pretty much drained, and she herself had taken an awful lot of chakra into that stab.

Sasuke dropped by next to her, staring straight at Orochimaru and panting. "Nami, the three of us have to escape, now. This person…is way out of our league. I'll create a diversion, then you and Sakura will run. I'll catch up later."

Nami looked at him incredulously. "Yeah right, Uchiha! You think I'm gonna just let you—"

"There's no point in arguing now!" Sasuke said, shooting a glare towards her. "Do you want to die?!"

Nami was about to retort when she heard Orochimaru laughing.

"Ah…this is so much fun!" Orochimaru laughed. "But, sadly, I must end this. I would've expected more of the great Uchiha Sasuke, but just like your little girlfriend Sasuke, you aren't a threat."

"WHAT?!" Nami hollered. Lifting her sai, she stared at him fiercely. "Okay, this guy is dead!" She charged at Orochimaru, ignoring Sasuke's call of her name.

Sasuke grimaced. _That idiot! What does she think she's doing? _"Don't go running off to your grave, idiot!"

"Shut up! I know what I'm doing!" Nami shot back. _I hope…_

_Hard-headed idiot…_ Sasuke thought angrily as he followed after her. He caught up to the enraged girl and took out several kunai, four in each hand.

"What are you—?"

"Yeah, like I'm gonna let a girl defend me," was all Sasuke said.

Orochimaru just stood, smiling at the two with bloodlust in his eyes.

"Hiyah!" Nami roared as she slashed through Orochimaru who disintegrated into the air. _Crap, another replication! _

"Brute strength won't get you anywhere," Orochimaru stated as he knocked her forward from behind.

Sasuke tossed the weapons at the villain who hadn't forgotten about him.

Orochimaru grabbed one of the knives out of the air and threw the weapon back.

Sasuke pulled out another kunai and deflected the weapon. Touching the ground, he threw a punch at his enemy. When his attack was caught, he jumped shortly into the air and kicked.

Orochimaru's tongue snatched Sasuke's neck and tossed him forward, smacking him against the tree.

Nami came up from behind with a thrust of her leg.

The tongue jerked towards her now, sending her in the same direction as the Uchiha.

Sakura watched the two as they attempted to rise after their recent defeat anxiously. She felt useless, but she wasn't able to do anything to help the battle either. Grasping her hands, her terrified eyes saw Orochimaru slink towards the two ninja. "Sasuke-kun! Nami!" she screamed.

TOK! TOK! TOK!

A few shuriken stuck before Orochimaru who looked up, mildly surprised.

Sakura turned her attention to the orange-clad wonder standing just a few branches above from the battle. "Naruto!"

"Sorry, Sasuke!" Naruto called down to the avenger. "I forgot that stupid password!"

Nami looked up at Naruto and called, "Hey, it's about time!"

"Naruto…" Sasuke muttered. He turned to the blond fox vessel and shouted, "Naruto! Get out of here! This guy's way out of your league!"

BONK.

"What the heck was that for?!" Sasuke demanded Nami. He rubbed his head angrily.

Nami looked off into space innocently then stared at Sasuke, surprised. "Whatever do you mean?"

_I don't have time for this, _Sasuke thought, annoyed. Then, he heard the grass nin chuckling.

"Heheh…it seems as though you escaped my snake…Naruto-kun…" the grass nin cackled.

_This guy's creepy, _Nami thought. _I have to end this quick so I can get to the tower first. _She then noticed Sasuke peering around anxiously. She whispered, "Hey, Uchiha, what're you planning on doing?"

Sasuke deactivated his Sharingan and stood up straight, reaching his hand into his back pouch. He pulled out the Heaven Scroll.

Nami narrowed her eyes. "Hey—"

"I'll give you the scroll," Sasuke called to the enemy. "Take it and leave us in peace."

"WHAT?!" Naruto hollered. "What're you doin', Sasuke?! Why are you just handing over the scroll?!"

Sasuke scowled.

Orochimaru's mouth twisted into a deranged smile. "I see…trying to escape the predator by giving the predator a different target?"

"Take it!" Sasuke shouted, launching his arm back to throw.

WHACK.

"Hey!" Sasuke exclaimed, now extremely livid. "Will you stay out of this?!"

Nami just glared at the Uchiha boy. "What's wrong with you, huh?! Are you so much as a wuss to fight this guy?!"

Suddenly, Naruto flew down from the higher treetop, fist held high.

CRACK!

Sasuke flew back against another tree and landed flatly on the branch. Touching his cheek with his fist, Sasuke glared at Naruto intensely. "What was that?! Attacking me all of a sudden?!"

"What've you done with Sasuke?!"

Sasuke's eyes widened. "You idiot…I _am _Sasuke!"

"Liar!" Nami shouted.

Sasuke turned his attention to her. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"The real Sasuke wouldn't be that lame! He's lamer!" Nami shouted, faking anger.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head, confused. "I was right? I mean—of course! I knew it!"

Sasuke sweat dropped. _That idiot didn't even have the guarantee that I was a fake! He's wrecking everything!_

"Besides, the real Sasuke wouldn't just hand over the scroll!" Naruto declared.

"Yeah!" Nami said. "Let's kill the imposter, Naruto!"

"Yeah!"

"WHAT?!" Sasuke shouted.

_What's Nami doing?! _Sakura thought anxiously. She glowered angrily at the girl. "HEY!"

Nami glanced down at Sakura. "What do you want?"

"That's the real Sasuke-kun, stupid! What're you doing?! Stop spreading lies!"

Inner Sakura punched the air furiously. _If she lays a finger on my Sasuke-kun, I'll punch her face in! _

"This is all very amusing, but…" came Orochimaru's voice. "I do not like to be forgotten. Now you all pay with your lives."

Now that got Naruto a bit miffed. "SHUT UP!" With that, he charged at the grass nin.

"Stupid! Run away!" Sasuke ordered.

Naruto ignored his teammate as he came closer to the grass nin.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Orochimaru shouted. Suddenly, a giant snake appeared underneath him.

"NARUTO!" Sasuke, Sakura, and Nami hollered.

Blood spewed out of Naruto's mouth instantly as the boy was thrown forward by the enormous reptile.

"Don't hesitate!" Orochimaru cried, licking his lips. "Eat up!"

"Eat this!" Naruto roared, slamming his fist against the scaly reptile's head.

"Yeah, Naru—" Nami suddenly gasped as she saw Orochimaru flying right at her. She jumped to the side, drawing her sword once more.

Orochimaru launched a powerful punch to her stomach, hitting his target. Before Nami could cry out, his hand lashed out and caught her neck promptly. "You are an annoyance. There is no reason for you to be here." Tightening his grasp around her neck, he smiled. "My only regret is that your death…will not sprout any fresh blood."

Nami's vision blurred as her neck tensed. She heard a faint call from Sakura, but nothing else. As she blacked out, she saw a body knocking against Orochimaru's and a shout. She couldn't tell who it was.

"DON'T TOUCH HER!"

---DAY TWO---

One day had passed and Midori stopped quietly on a branch. She looked around then sighed. _Okay…it's official. I'm hopelessly lost._ She plopped down on the branch cross-legged and propped her chin on her palm. "Okay…maybe I can't do this alone…" She shook her head furiously. "Argh! I'm not about to let Nami know she was right! I said I'd prove her wrong but…" Midori was completely torn. "Crap…talking to myself…I've been hanging around Kyoko for too long…"

Suddenly, a kunai flew straight passed her face, barely cutting the tip of her nose.

TOK.

"Eep!" Midori squeaked as she nearly fell off her high perch. Looking down, she noticed some movements. Curious, she hopped down a few branches and peered down. Her eyes widened.

The scene was a battle, three to one. But it wasn't just anyone. It was the famous Branch House genius, Hyuuga Neji. He was standing in a position that obviously confirmed that he had just used the Kaiten, Heavenly Spin.

_Whoa…Neji's taking on three waterfall guys…_Midori thought, noting the sign on Neji's enemies' hitai-ates. Her eyes followed back to Neji, who seemed to be a little out of breath. _But even at this level, he can't take them all at once. And he hasn't perfected Kaiten yet. I've gotta help him. _

One of the waterfall ninja smirked. "Hmph. Nice technique. It's a shame you can't maintain it for long." He threw several weapons at the Hyuuga genius, forcing the boy into the air to avoid the attacks.

A shorter of the three tossed more into the air while the tallest team member leapt up, ready to attack Neji.

Neji, having no way of dodging both attacks while in the air, spun around and clashed weapons with the assaulting waterfall ninja. Cutting the arm of the ninja, he braced himself for the flurry of weapons' impact.

_Ching! Ching! Ching! Ching!_

Neji touched the ground and lowered his sight to the now fallen kunai and shuriken. Glancing up slightly without turning around, he observed the person who deflected the weapons.

Midori turned her head and smiled.

_That girl was from the first exam, _Neji thought, eyes narrowing. _She's from another team. Why help me? _

Before he could ponder this any longer, the waterfall nins interfered. The ostensible leader of the group made a gesture with both his hands, pointing to opposite points of the forest area. His two teammates disappeared within the trees.

The remaining waterfall nin straightened up with a grin on his face. "I see this girl has a Konoha hitai-ate. Is she of your team?"

Neji didn't answer, his face showing no emotion.

"Well, teammate or not, she won't be enough to aid you in this battle!" The moment he finished his sentence he had already started charging at the two.

"Get out of here," Neji ordered Midori as he fell into the traditional Hyuuga stance.

"I can help," Midori insisted, her eyes darting around the treetops, trying to locate the other two.

"Fine, whatever," Neji said as he drove his open palm into the stomach of the waterfall ninja.

The boy was pushed back and coughed vaguely. He smirked. "Well aren't you a tough one?" He held his hand in the air, signaling to his teammates. "Yoichi! Mizu! Now!"

Neji's sight trailed upwards, veins appearing around his blank eyes. "Byakugan!"

Midori finally spotted the other two who seemed to be completing a chain of hand signs.

"Rise! Droplets of the Earth!" Mizu, the girl cried, raising her arms in the air.

Suddenly, the earth seemed to tremble slightly as water sprouted from the ground, filling the area in about five inches of water.

"Water Element: Water Control!" the other boy landed on the ground with a _splash!_ Then, waving his arms around, the water started to move, rocking with the motions of his hands.

Midori slightly wobbled in the water and saw Neji stare solidly at the boy.

"He's controlling the water by running his chakra through it," Neji stated, mostly to himself. "I doubt he can sustain for long." Neji shot up and landed on the water. As he started running towards the Yoichi, he was countered by the other opponent.

Midori leapt up and onto the water as well. She felt the current strengthen and she struggled to get to the master of water. Midori held out her arms. _Hikari Suishou! Aid me! _As the crystal around her neck glowed, so did her left hand. "Take this!" Midori threw a punch at the boy.

Yoichi held his arm up, creating a large wave that enveloped Midori. He smirked. "You can't escape it. Mizu!" he called to his female teammate.

Mizu jumped down from her branch and while in the air threw what looked like a small black ball into the water Midori was trapped in.

Midori winced as the ball exploded in the watery cage. Purple liquid started to spread. _Poison! _She held her breath.

Neji glimpsed at Midori from a length away. He scowled as the enemy ninja slashed a kunai in his direction. Neji dodged at the last second but the ninja still managed to skim his right side. As the ninja sent a kick towards his stomach, Neji caught his leg and swung him towards the other waterfall nin.

The waterfall nin cried out in pain as he collided with Yoichi, breaking the jutsu. The ball of water collapsed and Midori fell face-down into the water, unconscious.

The girl, Mizu, looked terrifyingly at Neji and backed away a little, looking down at her two teammates. "Yoichi! Kyomaru!" she cried.

The two boys got up heavily, their drenched clothes weighing them down.

"We're fine," Kyomaru said, shaking his head for a second. He narrowed his eyes.

"What are we going to do now, Kyomaru?" Yoichi whispered. "We're low on chakra because of the jutsu."

"We fight, hand-to-hand. He can't take us all on!" Kyomaru yelled as he and his teammates charged towards Neji.

_I've got one shot, _Neji thought, getting into a position. As he started to rotate, he shouted, "Kaiten!"

All three were suddenly blown back by the force of Neji's chakra. Splashes were heard as the teammates landed in the newly made marsh. Neither of them moved.

Neji panted quietly as he looked for a scroll. He made a mental note to not use that move again until it was perfected. Surprisingly, he saw two, both a Heaven and Earth Scroll.

_They must have wanted to decrease the competition. Fools._

He turned to leave, but noticed Midori in the water. His ninja instincts told him to leave her, this was a competition and he wouldn't make this any easier if he helped out an enemy. But…

The Hyuuga genius sighed and kneeled down.

* * *

Sigh...you guys have no idea how much I loved finally being able to bring Neji back into the story. Usually I proofread my chapters now to find mistakes and add more discription (because I wrote all these chapters quite some time ago and spellcheck doesn't get everything, that's for sure) but I didn't have time today, so if there's anything too noticeable, tell me please. 

One more thing. Are the signs/seals for jutsu called hand '_sign_' or hand '_seal_'? I think I use them interchangeably. It's no big deal I guess, I'm just curious.

R&R please! Watch the vid. if you can!

-HM


	17. Returning the Favor

Thanks for the reviews, everyone! Loves ya!

Nami will be posting her stories around tonight (evil FF makes you wait three days SHARP) and is excited to start getting reviews of her own. Her username is "PranksterofKonoha", so look it up tonight if you're interested!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Nami felt a warm ray of sunlight hit her face. _Huh…what happened? _She suddenly shot up only to be forced back down by a pain in her lower stomach area. "Ow…"

"You're awake."

Nami peered at Sakura who looked like a complete mess with bags under her green eyes and scratches coating her face. The pink-haired girl was placing a wet piece of cloth over the unconscious Sasuke. The Uchiha boy's face was contorted into what looked like pain. Cold sweat ran down his face.

Nami frowned.

"How are you feeling?" Sakura asked.

"Fine, I guess," Nami said as she attempted to stand without avail.

"You should stay," Sakura advised. "I don't think you're ready to go yet."

"Is that so?" Nami said, raising an eyebrow as she crossed her legs. "Whatever."

Sakura turned back to Sasuke, gazing down at him worriedly.

"Hey, don't you think you should take care of Naruto?" Nami asked skeptically. "Uchiha isn't your only teammate."

Sakura shot her a glare. "For your information, he's the one who got badly wounded! That Orochimaru person branded him with some kind of mark and he's in great pain!"

"And Naruto was the one who saved your sorry skins!" Nami countered. "If it weren't for him, you both would be lying on the forest floor, dead!"

"Don't judge me!" Sakura shouted angrily. "I care about both my teammates, not just Sasuke-kun!"

"Then act like it!"

Sakura was silent. She lowered her sight.

Nami just stared at the girl then looked away, deciding Sakura wasn't worth her time.

---

"Uh…"

Neji glanced at the stirring girl lying next to him a few inches away.

Midori's eyes slowly opened, then closed again. She suddenly sat up quickly, brown eyes completely opened wide. "W-What happened? Where are they?" She asked anxiously.

"Relax, they're gone," Neji said, standing up. "And now that my conscience is clear, I'll be going now. We're even."

Midori didn't say anything but just watched him go with a dazed look. _Neji…he waited with me until he was sure I was fine…_She smiled faintly, unaware that Neji saw it with his Hyuuga eyes.

As Midori started to get up, she noticed something. An Earth Scroll sitting beside her.

She took the scroll in her hands, confused. _Neji left this…for me? _

Midori felt a feeling of hotness in her cheeks as she pocketed the scroll. With a smile on her face, she leapt onto a branch and continued towards the tower.

---

Nami got up and stretched. It was still early in the morning and she was just about ready to head on out to the tower.

Sakura noticed her standing. "Nami, are you going to leave?" she asked.

"Yep," Nami nodded. "You guys aren't the only ones who want to pass this exam, after all."

"But…you can't just leave…" Sakura said a bit hesitantly.

"Why not?" Nami asked. "Are you too weak to defend your own teammates?"

Sakura's worried eye suddenly turned cold as she glared at Nami. "Of course I'm strong enough!"

"You don't sound too convincing," Nami smirked.

Sakura frowned and looked away. "Fine. Leave. I don't care."

Nami was about to leave when she suddenly noticed three figures some feet away. She clenched her fists and looked seriously towards the Sound ninja.

Sakura noticed them as well and said, "What do you want?"

"Oh, don't stop your conversation on account of us," Zaku said playfully. "We just wanted to have a little duel with Sasuke over there. Go ahead and take a nap, girls. We won't bother ya."

Nami scowled. "Sound nin." Pulling out a kunai, she turned to Sakura and said, "Hey, can you fight?"

Sakura stared at her for a moment and nodded resolutely, pulling out a kunai.

"Then you back me up," Nami ordered as she started running at the sound ninja. As she slashed her kunai towards Dosu who darted to the left, she felt her injuries affecting her once more. She grimaced in pain.

Dosu, seeing this opening, smashed his arm with the sound amplifier against Nami's back. His attack connected easily and Nami was forced to the ground, face-down.

"It seems that you have been through a battle," Dosu observed, amused. "And you still think you can take us on?"

Nami glowered, but in her mind she knew they were right. _That damned Orochimaru injured me…I can't fight them…_

"Nami!" Sakura shouted worriedly.

"Oh, ho," Zaku smirked. "Whatcha gonna do about your friend, girl?"

Sakura clenched her teeth. "Why do you want to fight Sasuke-kun? I know about Orochimaru! What's his plan?"

The three intruders looked surprised.

"What did this mark on Sasuke-kun's neck do? I won't allow you to fight him!" Sakura continued.

"What's Orochimaru thinking…?" Dosu wondered.

"Whatever it is, it doesn't matter," Zaku said, glancing down at Nami, then Sakura. "Because I'm gonna kill these two here…and then finish of Sasuke."

As Zaku started to move, Dosu stopped him.

"What is it, Dosu?" Zaku demanded.

"This girl is just a rookie," Dosu said, observing the ground. "I can tell. She's not very good…"

Zaku stared at Dosu incredulously, but then a wide amused smile appeared on his face. "It's a booby trap."

"Precisely," Dosu nodded. He turned to Sakura. "A trap is useless unless it goes unnoticed. You've failed."

Zaku scoffed. "Sasuke and that blond kid must be stupid…letting two girls defend them like this."

"Since there are obviously no uses for these two…" Dosu said. "Kill them. Starting with the pink-haired one."

The sound team leapt towards Sakura. Sakura smirked and cut an unnoticeable thread behind her.

"What?" Dosu said in surprise as a giant log blocked their way. "Another trap?"

"A giant log!" Zaku exclaimed.

Dosu smirked under his bandaged mask. "Hmph. You'll have to do better than that, little girl." Dosu placed his hand with the amplifier on the log and instantly the log cracked into millions of pieces.

_Huh?_ Sakura thought, shocked.

"Honestly, you have no talent at all," Dosu said. "Weaklings like you shouldn't mess with guys like us."

Nami struggled to get up. Her back was burning and her front wasn't so great either. As she sat up, holding her stomach, she saw the sound nin charge towards the defenseless Sakura. "Sakura, move it!" she hollered.

"Konoha Sempuu!"

Nami's eyes widened as she saw the familiar green-clad figure kicking the enemies away in a split second.

"Huh…?" Sakura said, dazed.

"Then you guys should take your own advice," the savior smiled.

"Who are you?" Dosu demanded.

"I am Rock Lee…" Lee answered. "The beautiful green beast of Konoha!"

"Yes! Great save, Lee!" Nami cheered.

"W…why are you here?" Sakura asked quietly.

"I will always be by your side…when you are in danger," Lee said.

Sakura was speechless.

Nami frowned.

Lee released the squirrel that had been sitting on his shoulder.

"…Thank you…you saved me," Sakura said, smiling softly.

"I said before," Lee said, his back still turned to Sakura. "I will protect you with my life."

As Sakura smiled, Lee clenched his fist with a triumphant look on his face. _Yes! It is working, Gai-sensei! I am awesome! _

Dosu seemed tired. "All right then. Zaku, you take care of Sasuke. I'll handle these guys."

Suddenly, Sakura threw a kunai towards Dosu who bounded into the air.

A moment later, Lee appeared beneath him, his hand in the ground.

Dosu's eyes widened as Lee pulled out a thick root the size of a tree, no, bigger.

"I am not going to fall for your tricks," Lee declared. "I have seen them before."

_He's…so strong… _Sakura thought in awe.

_Holy crap… _Nami thought. Then she saw him unraveling the bandages on his arms. Making a sign with one hand, he disappeared before everyone's eyes.

_Where did he go? _Dosu thought urgently. The teenage boy suddenly emerged in front of him, kicking him into the air. Dosu grunted as the green beast disappeared once more and reappeared behind him.

"It is not over…" Lee stated.

Bandages started to wrap around Dosu's body, creating an inescapable prison. Lee turned himself as well as Dosu upside down and started spinning rapidly.

"Omote Renge!" Lee cried as he smashed Dosu into the ground headfirst. Dust rose, and the battle scene was covered. A few meters away, Zaku had both his hands on the ground.

"Looks like I made it in time," Zaku breathed.

Nami watched in horror as Dosu got up from the terrifying attack. _I can't believe he was able to withstand that impact! Oh wait…yes I can. Almost forgot._

"No way!" Lee exclaimed.

"Nice try…" Dosu said, sounding exhausted. "But now it's my turn."

Lee flinched.

"Lee, look out!" Nami cried out as Dosu attacked.

Lee dodged the blow, but cringed as a strange sensation overtook his body.

"You're fast, but you can't withstand my wall of sound!"

Lee groaned. "Ugh…"

Nami winced as she saw Lee heave. _Ew… _

Blood dripped from Lee's ear. _My ear… _he thought, putting a hand over his ear.

Dosu chuckled. "You can't dodge my attacks, its impossible. Even if you dodge my blow, the sound will attack."

Nami narrowed her eyes. She tuned Dosu out, her eyes falling upon Lee, Naruto and Sasuke. They were in danger, and as soon as Lee was down, Sakura would have to defend them. There was no way she would just sit around an watch the pink-haired kunoichi fight them off herself.

Struggling, she started to move, but was suddenly caught by someone.

"Hey, I didn't forget about you," Kin said, smirking. "While my teammates take care of your little friend and those guys…why don't _we _have some fun?"

Nami scowled. "She's…not…my…friend!" Nami felt a burst of power and threw a punch at Kin who dodged.

"You're weak," Kin said. "Is it from a battle earlier…or is it natural?"

A frown appeared on Nami's face. _Even if Kin isn't the strongest of the sound team…I won't be able to beat here like this. _

"Konoha Sempuu!"

Nami and Kin both turned towards the sound of Lee's voice, forgetting about their 'battle' before it even started.

"Lee!" Nami shouted.

Lee cringed once more from the effects of the jutsu placed on him by Dosu.

"You almost had me there for a moment," Dosu said, throwing a punch at Lee.

Lee blocked Dosu's arm, but that didn't stop the sound.

"AAAAAAAHH!"

"LEE-SAN!" Sakura screamed.

Lee fell to the ground heavily, defeated and powerless. Dosu was too much for him. _I am sorry...Sakura-san..._

"Now…to finish you…" Dosu said.

"I won't let you!" Sakura shouted, throwing several shuriken towards Dosu.

Dosu deflected the attack. "Geez…"

Kin smirked and turned back to Nami. "Looks like one of your heroes are finished. You're next."

Nami closed her eyes and felt an impact in her stomach. She grunted, her face contorting into a pained expression.

She looked up at Kin and scowled. "You know…you're pretty low. Attacking someone who's injured…you're a real coward."

"What did you say?!" Kin demanded.

Nami's smirk disappeared as she saw Sakura get sliced by her own shuriken. "Sakura, don't you see that projectiles won't work?!"

Kin turned around and saw a chance to catch the pink-haired kunoichi, literally. Grabbing Sakura by her long hair, she smirked. "Hmph. Your hair has so much more shine and luster than mine. If you have so much time on your hands, you should train instead of worrying about your looks, you little pig. Hey Zaku, why don't you teach this girl a lesson? Kill Sasuke in front of his little fan girl…"

"Ha, ha, good one," Zaku smiled.

Nami winced. _This isn't good…I…can't move…_ It seemed that Kin's kick did more than hurt. Before Zaku reached Sasuke, Nami blacked out.

---

_Almost to the tower and no sign of anyone else. Wow, this exam is boring, _Kyoko thought uninterestedly as she flew through the trees. Suddenly, Kyoko had an idea as she turned her view to the treetops which towered over her, blocking out the sun. _I bet I have lots of time, _Kyoko thought. _So why not get a little training done? _

The determined girl started to turn her direction from forward to up. She bounced up the trees using their tree branches, noting that they seemed to get thinner and thinner on the way up.

_Of course, _Kyoko thought gleefully. _The higher up, the thinner and less the branches get! I'll reach the top! _Fire burned in her decided eyes. However, she was too distracted to notice several figures hidden within the leaves of the branches.

She scaled higher and higher, almost reaching the top.

"One more branch!" she cheered aloud. As her foot connected to the slim branch, something dreadful happened.

CRACK.

"KYAAAAH!" Kyoko screamed as she plummeted down towards the ground to her death. _Oh no! Kyoko, you idiot, you walked right into your own grave! Ah man…I can't die! There are so many things I haven't done yet! I haven't even made it to chuunin level! NOOOOOOOOOO!_

Kyoko's life flashed before her eyes, forcing her to relive the moments once more. _Wow…my life sucked…_

Kyoko shut her eyes, not wanting to see the sight of her blood splatter all over the green forest floor. _This is the end for me…_ She clenched her fists, ready for impact…that never came.

WHAT?

Kyoko cracked one eye open to see what had happened. Then both eyes fluttered open, amazed at what she saw.

A swarm of black beetles seemed to have captured her. The crowd lowered her down, in slow-motion it seemed. Then…

THUD.

"Ow…" Kyoko rubbed her backside as she stood up. It was then that she noticed Team Eight approaching her.

"A-Are you a-all r-right?" Hinata stuttered quietly.

"Yeah…" Kyoko said, still amazed at what she had gone through.

"You should be," Kiba piped up. "If it weren't for us, you'd be just another bloody corpse in the middle of the Forest of Death. Lucky we stopped by."

"Think of it as thanks for earlier," Shino added stoically. "Your distraction gave us enough time to escape that sand ninja."

"Right…distraction…" Kyoko chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck. "Thanks, guys. You really _did _save my—"

Suddenly, Shino tackled Kyoko to the ground, his hand on her back.

Kyoko turned red.

SLAP!

Shino stared at Kyoko with confusion and touched his now red cheek.

"What was _that _for, perv?!" Kyoko shouted.

Shino silently pointed behind the enraged Kyoko.

"Huh?" Kyoko followed his finger and turned redder. A tree was embedded deeply with a kunai. "Oh…" She smiled nervously. "S-Sorry…Shino…"

"Shino-kun, h-here," Hinata whispered, giving him a small container of ointment. "T-That looks s-sort of bad…"

"We're under attack here!" Kiba shouted. "Why are you guys being so calm?!"

Akamaru jumped out of Kiba's collar and started to bark wildly.

"They're over there!" Kiba announced, pointing upwards.

Surely enough, three rain ninja dropped down from the branches and landed lightly on the ground in sync.

"We'll be taking your scrolls," one of the ninja stated. "So let's just make this easy."

Akamaru barked something to Kiba who smirked.

"Heh," Kiba said nonchalantly. "Akamaru and I can tell cowards when we see them."

The rain nin looked angrily at Kiba. "Cowards eh? Would cowards do this, you little brat?!" He tossed tens of kunai toward the group of five (counting Akamaru XD).

Team Eight scattered in different directions and Kyoko leaped into the air, feeling something skim her back pouch. She turned her attention down as she saw her weapons, water bottle, and other contents clattering to the ground. She landed on a branch and took off her now totaled pouch. She glared irately at the intruders with flames of rage in her eyes. "You…scattered…my…weapons! YOU JERKS!"

The rain nin exchanged confused glances.

As Kyoko started to leave her roost, Shino came from behind and held her back.

"What?" Kyoko demanded.

"Don't charge at them blindly," Shino said. "They are one of the best from their village, after all."

"Right…" Kyoko said, though she still looked homicidal. "At least let me beat their faces in." She was hungry for some action.

Shino turned to Kiba who also looked excited. Hinata stood a little behind Kiba, looking reluctant. Then he rotated his sight back to the enemies. _Kiba and this girl…are complete hotheads. They won't wait for long until they—_

"Chaaaaaarge Akamaru!" Kiba shouted as he put his hands together into a hand sign. "Juujin Bunshin!"

As Akamaru jumped onto Kiba's crouching form, the small dog transformed into Kiba.

"Gatsuuga!"

As the two twins started spinning around at a deadly speed, they crashed into the enemies, knocking them off their feet. The rain nin fell to the ground a few meters away, surprised at the power these lowly rookies had.

"Hinata!" Kiba called as he stopped by putting on hand on the ground and spreading his legs out. "Who has the scroll?"

"Byakugan!" Hinata cried. She observed the intruders and said, "The bigger one on the left!"

"Leave him to me!" Kyoko declared, taking out some kunai from her holster. _Stupid rain nin…now I only have kunai! _

She flung the weapons towards the biggest rain ninja, forcing him to jump in the air. Kyoko followed him, tossing more and more as the chase went higher and higher.

TOK. TOK. TOK.

"Where are you aiming at?" the rain nin mocked. "The branches?"

Kyoko smirked. "You're not so stupid after all."

"What?" Suddenly, the branch underneath the ninja cracked under his weight and he started tumbling down. He smirked as he approached a branch. "Ha! You think a simple trick like that will—" the ninja stopped as he noticed Kyoko making a hand sign.

As soon as her hands touched, several explosions set off on the branches beneath the rain nin. He braced himself for the impact, but it wasn't enough to get him out of there unaffected.

---

Nami's eyes fluttered open. _Argh! Blacked out again! What happened? _Her eyes darted around, seeing pretty much everyone besides Team Eight in the area.

"MAN!" Nami shouted loudly, gaining everyone's attention. "Missed out on the action again!"

Sakura raised an eyebrow as she watched Nami. _She's lucky…_

"Oi, Sakura-chan!" Naruto called.

"What now…?" Sakura muttered wearily.

"What did you do to your hair, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked worriedly.

"Oh, this?" Sakura said flipping her now short hair casually. "Well—"

"Her hair was being devoured by a massive snake so she had to cut it before it popped her head!" Nami cut in cheerfully.

Sakura gave her a look of both anger and annoyance. Mostly annoyance.

"…Seriously?" Naruto said as if he believed Nami.

Everyone in the area sweat dropped.

"_No_!" Sakura said disbelievingly. "I was just trying to change my image. Long hair is great…but it's pretty useless in a forest like this. It would get in the way."

"Oh…" Naruto nodded. He glanced at Shikamaru and Chouji. "And what're these guys doing here?"

"Explaining things to you is troublesome," Shikamaru said.

Naruto glared.

"These guys…came to save us," Sakura said, smiling distantly.

"LEE! SNAP OUT OF IT! WAKE UP!"

The group turned to see Lee's female teammate shaking the living daylights out of him.

Once Lee woke up, Tenten started scolding him harshly.

"You're an idiot!" Tenten finished angrily.

"Heh…can't argue with that…" Lee slumped, though he smiled a bit.

"Hey! I know you! Gejimayu!" Naruto shouted, pointing at Lee.

POW!

"Don't be rude to Lee-san!" Sakura socked Naruto, making him fly several feet. He skidded and stopped right in front of Nami who had slowly gotten up.

"Aw…poor Naruto. Do you want an icepack, little bro?"

Naruto groaned.

---

Kyoko touched the ground gracefully, though the same couldn't be said for the totaled rain nin. She turned to Team Eight who had just finished off the rain nin's two teammates and held up the victory sign.

"Oh yeah! We kick butt!" Kyoko cheered.

Kiba walked over to stand next to Kyoko and leaned down to examine the unconscious ninja who had many burn marks all over his body. He straightened up and turned to Kyoko, a calm look on your face. "Hey…did you stop to think that maybe…oh, I don't know…YOU BLEW UP THE SCROLL TOO?"

Kiba's outburst forced Kyoko to fall backwards, surprised. "SORRY!" she shouted, suddenly realizing her mistake. "I didn't mean to!"

"YOU DIDN'T MEAN TO?"

"Not to worry," Shino said, holding his arm out.

As the two loud ones watched Shino with confused expressions, beetles started to leak out of his sleeve carrying…

"The scroll!" Kyoko exclaimed, taking the Heaven Scroll from the bugs thankfully.

Although nobody saw it, Shino raised an eyebrow. _She isn't afraid of my beetles…even Hinata is a little antsy over them…How strange. _

"How'd you do that, Shino?" Kiba asked, confused.

"I planted a female on the rain nin that girl was fighting," Shino explained. "And had my insects track him down and steal his scroll."

Kyoko looked at him strangely. _That girl? _Then, it hit her. She laughed out loud in amusement. "My name's Shimizu Kyoko!"

After a short rally of introductions, Team Eight started to depart.

Shino nodded. "The scroll is yours, Kyoko-san."

"Thanks!" Kyoko said, smiling. She was about to put the scroll into her back pouch when she remembered that it was broken. "Aw man…"

"Give it to me," Shino said, taking the pouch. Countless black beetles crawled over the pouch. When they dispersed, the pouch was mended.

Kiba whistled. "Didn't know your beetles could sew, Shino."

Shino just stared at him.

"That's so cool!" Kyoko exclaimed. Her smile widened as she saw the chakra bugs gathering her weapons and placing them into her pouch. "Thanks, Shino!"

"It's only proper to give something in return for saving our lives," Shino said simply.

"You guys be careful now!" Kyoko said as soon as her weapons were back in her pouch along with the scroll.

"I was gonna say the same thing," Kiba grinned.

"S-See you a-at the t-tower," Hinata said, her stutter coming back.

* * *

Haha, the Forest of Death is almost at its end! I have to tell ya, figuring out the time frame was REALLy annoying, but worth it. R&R please! And remember, "PranksterofKonoha" tonight!

-HM


	18. Out of the Forest, Into the Prelims

Okay, I'm kind of busy today so not much of an A/N or editing. Bear with me.

For those of you who reviewed or are going to review Nami known as PranksterofKonoha, you have our thanks. (BTW there was a little problem with her stories before, no Disclaimer, and she wanted to change it and started them anew. Therefore, the reviews placed for those stories are gone and Nami's not all that happy. So if you have the time and of course, if you'd like to, stop by her stories once more to review.) Thanks!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

Midori could see the destination from where she was standing now. _Maybe I should stop and take a breather right now… _Midori thought, sitting down and breathing heavily. She held her stomach. _What's this weird pain…it's not bad but…_ Shaking her head, she continued. _Maybe that fight took more out of me than I thought._

_---_

It took exactly one more day for Kyoko to reach the tower. When she got to the entrance, she spotted Nami coming in from the other side. Narrowing her eyes, she ran faster.

Nami saw Kyoko as well and increased her speed. The wind rushed through her hair and she didn't take her eyes of her teammate.

"I WIN!" they shouted in unison, stopping on a dime.

"You weren't first!" Nami declared. "I was here way before you were!"

"You were not!" Kyoko shouted. "I won, so I'm faster!"

"Yeah right! In your dreams!"

"Oh, guys," came a voice.

The girls turned to see Midori, leaning against the wall of the tower and waving casually.

"MIDORI!"

"It's nice of you to show up," Midori said, clearly amused. "Don't forget the exam is still in progress. I suggest we go inside before we get attacked."

Her teammates silently nodded their heads, still surprised that Midori had gotten to the tower first. They entered the tower.

_Hmph…acting all cool-like. That's totally _my_ department, _Nami thought, a little annoyed. _I bet she didn't run into anyone._

"Hey Midori," she said aloud. "Did anything interesting happen?"

Midori raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Why don't you guys tell me about your adventures first?"

"Well…if you insist," Nami shrugged. "_I _faced off with the sound team. _And_ Orochimaru."

"What? Then how are you alive?" Kyoko demanded. "No way, he would've killed you. Unless…you weren't important enough to be killed…"

"Stupid, of _course _he tried to kill me!" Nami shouted. "I just put up a good fight!"

"Did you…win?" Midori said hesitantly.

"Er…"

"Ha!" Kyoko laughed.

"Well, do _you _think you can beat Orochimaru?" Nami demanded. "His Michael Jackson impression just distracted me."

"Well you know what _I _did?" Kyoko asked.

"I'm afraid to ask," Nami muttered.

Kyoko ignored Nami. "I met up with Gaara and—"

"Here we go…" Nami said as she reached into her back pouch. "Where are my ear plugs?"

"Shut up!" Kyoko said angrily. "He almost killed me!"

"Why am I not surprised?"

"How'd it turn out? You're obviously alive," Midori said.

"Well…something weird kind of happened," Kyoko explained. "He sort of just…stopped. He didn't kill me."

"Aw…"

"You know what, Nami—"

"Er, so did you guys get any scrolls?" Midori cut in.

"Yeah! Now we have two!" Kyoko exclaimed, digging into her mended pouch. "I got a scroll with Team Eight and here it is! A Heaven Scroll!"

"Hmph. Of course, you needed Team Eight's help," Nami said. "So where's the Earth Scroll?"

Kyoko froze.

In the area where Team Eight and Kyoko fought the rain nin, a team of cloud ninja sat down.

"I can't believe you lost our Earth Scroll!" a boy said angrily.

"I didn't lose it! It's not my fault your defenses were terrible! They got behind me!" another boy shouted.

"Hey, it's fine," the third boy sighed, starting to sit down. "What's done is done. What we need is a plan to get another scr—huh?" He immediately sat up.

"What is it?" the first boy asked.

"It's…an Earth Scroll!"

Back to the tower…

"BAKA! You're so stupid!" Nami exclaimed. "You _lost _the Earth Scroll? Unbelievable!"

"It's not my fault!" Kyoko said anxiously. "It was during the fight and they ripped my pouch! I forgot about it!"

"Yeah, like I'm gonna believe that!"

"Hey, hey," Midori said, reaching into her own pouch. "Enough of that. It's okay, I have another Earth Scroll."

"Huh?" the two girls looked at their fellow teammate.

"Yeah," Midori said. "I didn't think it would be necessary considering we _had _an Earth Scroll but—"

"How'd you get that?" Kyoko asked, shocked.

"What did you do?" Nami questioned.

"Neji and I were fighting some waterfall nin and well…we got the scroll," Midori said.

"Wait…he _gave _you the scroll?" Nami said with astonishment.

"That is so weird," Kyoko said, though she smiled slyly. "Is it…a sign?"

Midori narrowed her eyes, cheeks red as her teammates burst out laughing.

"It was a kind gesture," Midori declared, though she hated to say it. "That's all."

"Whatever you say," Nami said, taking the scroll. "It's a good thing, though. Because _someone _lost the scroll."

"Hey, at least I managed to _get _a scroll unlike _someone_," Kyoko pointed out.

"Shut up."

By this time, the girls had stopped in a plain room. It was pretty much empty except for a large wall scroll on the…wall.

Midori stared at the wall scroll her teammates verbally fought. _'If qualities of Heaven are your desire, acquire wisdom and knowledge to take your mind higher. If Earthly qualities are what you lack, train your body in the fields and prepare to attack. When both Heaven and Earth are opened together, the path of peril will revert to the righteous path forever. This "blank" is the secret way…that guides us on from this place today. The Third Hokage…'_

_It's so true…_ Midori thought, glancing over at her teammates. _Though the three of us may be lacking more than that…_

It was then when another team walked into the room. It was the sound team.

_Huh? _Dosu thought, noticing Nami. _That's the girl from before. So her team made it? _

_Pft, _Zaku thought. _That girl's team is just a bunch of females. How'd they pass? _

The room was silent. Nami was busily glaring daggers at Kin. Kyoko observed Zaku's broken arms that lay uselessly at his sides.

Jabbing Midori slightly, Kyoko whispered, "Hey, you've been practicing medical ninjutsu, right? Why don't you heal up Zaku's arms, huh?"

"What?" Midori said with disbelief. She glanced at Zaku's arms and suddenly something pulled at her conscience. "Oh…all right."

The sound team had turned to the wall scroll and started reading it, acting as if the girls were invisible.

Midori cautiously walked over to Zaku, gaining his attention. "Um…"

"What do _you _want?" Zaku spat.

"Your arms…" Midori started quietly.

"Yeah, what of them?"

"Well, if you'd like, I could fix them for you…" Midori said shyly.

Zaku stared at her for a second then said casually, "All right. Let's see what you can do." He sat down in a cross-legged position.

Midori nodded and kneeled down. She pressed her hands together over his right arm. Green, glowing chakra slowly appeared.

Dosu and Kin watched with interest.

_Why are they helping us? Surely the other one told her teammates about our little fight. And with Kin acting that way before…_ Dosu thought.

_Hmph. Those girls are stupid to help Zaku, _Kin thought. _It's as if they want to help us pass these bothersome exams._

"Hey, why's Midori helping Zaku?" Nami whispered to Kyoko. "You _do _realize that they were the ones who tried to kill me. They're the bad guys."

Kyoko shrugged, smiling.

"I've reduced most of the damage," Midori said, wiping her brow. "Every bone is back in place and you shouldn't feel any pain. But you should sort of lay back for a while. It isn't completely healed yet."

"Lay back during these exams? I don't think so," Zaku said, standing up.

Midori waited for a moment then walked back to her teammates.

"Hey man, she just fixed your arms! Show some gratefulness!" Nami called to Zaku.

"I didn't force her to," was all Zaku said.

"You—"

"Let it go, Nami," Midori said, smiling under her nose. "He's grateful."

Nami pouted.

"So guys, are you gonna open those scrolls or not?" Midori said to her teammates.

Nami and Kyoko looked at each other and nodded together. With the Earth Scroll in Nami's hand and the Heaven scroll in Kyoko's. They peeled open the scroll, then both threw them like grenades.

Suddenly, smoke gushed out of each scroll. As the smoke resided, a chuunin stood in place.

"Congratulations, girls," the chuunin said, pressing a button on a stopwatch he carried. "You've passed the second exam."

A few days later of waiting, the girls found themselves in a large arena-type room standing in line with the other candidates who passed the second exam. Nami stood at the front, then Midori, and last was Kyoko.

Some meters across from the group was another. They were the jounin senseis, examiners, and more.

_There's Marieke-sensei, _Nami thought, smirking. _I bet she's surprised to see us here. _

Kyoko glanced around. Her eyes fell upon a team that was out of place._ Huh? A team from Hidden Cloud? They're not supposed to be here… _She heard heavy breath in front of her. Turning, she noticed Midori looking sort of sickly and holding her stomach.

"Hey, Midori," Kyoko whispered, concerned. "You okay? You look kind of bad…"

"I'm fine…" Midori said slowly. _Did…did I accidentally get some poison into my system? That couldn't be it…it would've gotten me long before…wouldn't it have?_

"If you say so," Kyoko shrugged.

"Hm…looks like your students _did _make it, Marieke," Kakashi said. "Having your doubts still?"

"Oh yeah," Marieke said stubbornly.

"Your students?" Gai said, squinting towards the group of genin. "You mean the all-female team?"

"That's right."

"Ah…the fire of youth burns within them tremendously if they were able to surpass the other teams!" Gai declared. "You've done well, Marieke!" He gave her the nice guy pose. "But mark my words, my students are superior! Especially to Kakashi's!"

"Yeah…" Marieke said, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Kakashi said, turning his head.

Gai turned his back towards the two masked ninja and clenched his fist. _Argh! It was bad enough when Kakashi ignored me…but now Marieke sounds so doubtful of my youthfulness! Oh Marieke…what do I have that Kakashi doesn't? Is it the mask? Yes, that must be it! I shall purchase a mask! Oh…but hiding one's face is most _not _youthful! I am torn… _

As Gai tormented himself, Marieke jabbed Kakashi and said, "Is he all right?"

"I forgot that you were fairly new here," Kakashi said. "He'll be fine. He does it all the time. It's best to ignore it."

"Hokage-sama will now explain the third exam!" Anko barked. "All of you listen well! Take it away, Hokage-sama!"

She stepped behind as the Sandaime stepped forward. "Before I explain the third exam, I'd like to for you all to know something…concerning the true reason for the Chuunin Exams."

Midori attempted to listen, but she couldn't. Her chest pulsed strangely and she felt her ankles getting weaker. It felt like it took all her strength just to stand. _What's wrong with me? _She shook her head. _Maybe…maybe I should just quit now. I have no idea what this weird feeling is…_

"Yo, Midori."

"Huh?" Midori looked up towards Nami who had her head turned.

"Don't die on us now," Nami grinned, half-jokingly. "We're a quarter there, we're almost chuunin."

Midori only nodded. _Yeah…I can't let my team down…we've come so far...and I'm not going to be left behind. _

Kyoko tuned the Hokage off and glanced around the room uninterestedly. _These explanations are sure troublesome. I wonder who I'll have to fight…whoever it is, I'm not going to let them stop me. As long as I don't get Gaara…_

The Sandaime Hokage had been interrupted by none other than…

"Excuse me, Hokage-sama, but as the examiner of this exam, I, Gekkou Hayate would like to proceed with the explanation."

"Yes, yes, of course."

Hayate stood up, his back facing the genin. "Hello. I'm Gekkou Hayate…" he paused for a moment to cough. A LONG moment.

"Uh…dude…do you want a cough drop or something?" Nami asked, earning a thwack on the back of the head by Midori. "What?" she hissed quietly.

Midori just gave her the LOOK.

"I'm fine," Hayate said. "But there is something I must ask of all of you before the third exam...You must all go through a preliminary round first…"

* * *

Once again, I'm a little busy today so not much editing. R&R please!

-HM


	19. Piercing Needle, Lightning Strike

Hm. Guess like I'm gonna have to stop drinking Arizona iced tea at night...I can't seem to go to sleep. However, I guess this gives me some time before I have to start researching for big projects that are coming up in school to update and look over my chapters. This is the last chapter for the update-each-day thing I challenged myself to do, and I must say I'm proud of myself. :D It also seems that some new reviewers have awakened, so I'm VERY happy.

And by the way, I hope nobody minds if I skip around some of the battles during the prelims and the third exam. I just think its a bit unnecessary to write out when you all know what'll happen and everything, not to mention its kind of troublesome...

So thank you to all you reviewers and onward to the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

"All right, Shino!" Kyoko and Nami cheered as Hayate announced the Aburame's former victory. "You're the man!" 

"Heh…didn't know Shino had _fan girls_," Kiba snickered as he looked across the room at the team of girls. "They're complete weirdos…" _Lucky guy… _the Inuzuka thought enviously.

Hinata giggled quietly. "Shino-kun _d-does _deserve s-some recognition…"

"Hm…?" Naruto said, puzzled. As soon as the comments of Team Eight cranked slowly through his brain, he slammed his fist on the rail in frustration. "Geez! Sasuke has fan girls and now _Shino _has them?! _Shino_?!"

Sakura smacked Naruto upside the head in an annoyed fashion. "Naruto! Don't be so disrespectful! Sasuke-kun doesn't have _fan _girls and neither does Shino! We just _admire _Sasuke-kun and obviously those girls admire Shino! Baka!" _But it still is kind of weird…liking _Shino _of all people…_

"Aaaaah…Sakura-chan…you don't have to be so rough," Naruto said, rubbing the rising lump that was forming on his head.

Kakashi shook his head. _Naruto, you'll never understand the female mind._

Midori glanced down at Zaku sympathetically as he was carried away on a stretcher, one arm by his side and his detached arm on his stomach. Her stomach lurched and for a second, her vision blurred. _Two matches in such a quick time...I hope my turn is soon…Just to get this whole thing over with…And…hopefully we'll all be in one piece. I don't know if I'd be able to take this with a smile… _

She looked over to the right at what was left of the Sound team, Dosu and Kin, with sad eyes. She and her teammates were standing in between the Sound nin and Sand nin all thanks to Kyoko who had flounced up the opposite flight of stairs from all the Konoha genin teams without a bat of an eye. Nami and Midori reluctantly had followed, but both were careful to stay away from Gaara. Marieke had joined them a while ago, wondering why they had chosen to stand there.

"Shino's awesome," Nami said with starry eyes. "I'll top him!"

"I wish Zaku had another chance though…" Kyoko muttered. "His arm was blown off…"

"Don't think about the other competitors too much, girls," Marieke advised. "Think only of yourselves."

"You don't hear that advice from a teacher everyday," Nami remarked.

Everyone averted their attention back to the names flashing across the screen. Soon, two names stayed.

SHIMIZU KYOKO vs. GINOU KEN

"Yosh!" Kyoko exclaimed excitedly as she swung one foot onto the rail. "My turn!" She jumped into the arena and landed gracefully on the ground. Standing up, she fixed her eyes on the boy standing across from her.

"You can do it, Kyoko!" Midori called.

_Good luck, Kyoko, _Marieke thought.

Kyoko grinned. _Time to show everyone what I can do!_

The boy, Ken, had dark brown hair and hazel eyes. He had a normal build and was average height. Nothing much stood out, except for the worn sheath that hung from his waist.

"You gonna fight with your all?" Ken scoffed.

"What do you think?!" Kyoko shouted, clenching a fist passionately. "Of course! Just hope _you'll _be able to keep up!"

Ken smirked. "We'll see. But it must be a disadvantage for you...being a girl and all."

"WHAT?!"

Ken chuckled.

"Begin!" Hayate retreated backwards as Kyoko shot forward.

Ken put a hand on his sheath and grabbed the hilt. He stepped to the side, avoiding Kyoko's fist and unsheathed a gleaming silver sword. With strong, sweeping motions, he slashed the sword down, aiming to dislocate Kyoko's hand from her wrist.

Kyoko whirled around on her foot, barely missing the blade. Still spinning, she lifted her leg into the air and attempted to kick the boy in the face.

The boy ducked and swept his leg, knocking Kyoko off her feet. He brought his sword down.

Kyoko rolled to the right, letting the sword pierce the spot where her face had been. Hopping back to her feet, she threw a kick at him.

Ken fell backward to avoid the kick and continued to slice with his sword expertly, though unable to land a hit.

Dodging the continuous attacks, Kyoko searched for an opening.

"Why can't she just hit him and get this over with already?" Nami muttered. "Her aim's not _that _bad."

"She's biding her time," Marieke said plainly. "She's not using all her strength just yet. I think…she's trying to give her opponent an easy first impression…And she's analyzing him."

"Well, I say she's taking too long," Nami said, crossing her arms. "This guy's not so hot. She should be able to beat him hands down, right?"

Marieke didn't answer her subordinate and kept her eyes on the match.

Kyoko back flipped in the air to get out of range picked out several needles from her holster. _Okay, _she thought. _My turn!_ She released the silent weapons towards the boy, stabbing him in several places. She smirked under her nose. "You were saying?"

Ken scowled as he took out the needles roughly. "I'm just getting started, girl." He stabbed his sword into the ground and performed a series of hand signs. On the last sign he shouted, "Ninja Art: Lightning Blade!" Ken pulled his blade out and pointed the weapon at Kyoko. Jagged bolts of lightning shot out from the point of the sword, straight toward Kyoko.

Kyoko's eyes widened. She ducked before the lightning could reach her, but Ken wasn't about to allow her to get away unharmed. More lightning was let loose.

"He's using chakra to create lightning," Neji remarked. "He's putting himself in a risky situation. He won't last long if he continues to use his chakra so carelessly." He turned to Lee and said, "What do you think, Lee?"

"Huh?" Lee was confused.

"You seem to know that team of kunoichi well," Neji said simply. "Think we'll have another leaf genin passing this exam?"

Lee turned his attention back to the battle. "I don't know. I do know Nami-san a little and Midori-chan has hung around with all of us a bit but…as far as Kyoko-san goes, I have no idea what she can do. As I see it, it could come out either way."

"It doesn't seem she's doing to well," Tenten said with a bit of concern in her voice. "Needles aren't exactly the most deadly weapon out there if she doesn't know the points in the body by heart."

Dodging the new bolts of lightning, Kyoko jumped into the air. _I've gotta get rid of that sword of his! _

"Whoa!" Naruto shouted from the stands. "That guy can shoot lightning so easily! That's so cool!"

_Naruto, you traitor! _Kyoko thought as she sailed through the space.

"Retreating to the air? Bad choice!" Ken simpered.

"AAAAIIIEEEE!" Kyoko screamed as the energy blasted in her direction. She threw her arms in front of her for protection. Her attempt was useless, however, and the lightning electrified her body.

Marieke tensed.

"Kyoko!" Midori shouted as her friend hit the ground.

_That was quick, _Temari thought.

"Heh...that girl's done now," Kankuro said with amusement.

"…" Gaara didn't say a word. Remembering that it was the same girl from the second exam he had the tiniest microscopic bit of wonder if she was worth living. Probably not.

"I think we're finished here," Ken said nonchalantly. "Examiner?"

Hayate glanced at Kyoko emotionlessly.

"Don't say anything, Hayate!" Nami ordered. "Kyoko! GET UP!"

Pain was shooting through Kyoko's body. She felt completely helpless.

"Is that all you can do, huh?!" Nami called angrily. "You Short-tempered Psycho!"

_No…_ Kyoko thought as a vision flashed through her mind.

_**Flashback**_

"_**Ha! Yah!" Kyoko shouted as she thumped her fists against a tree. **_

"_**Your form needs work," Marieke said as she stood up from the log. **_

_**A vein pulsed on the side of Kyoko's forehead. "Yes, sensei."**_

"**_Yeah, Kyoko, like this!" Nami said as she split a thinner tree in half. _**

"**_Right, but don't use so much power in one attack if you don't have a good amount to spare," Marieke said._**

"**_Hey, I'm getting better everyday, sensei!" Nami said jauntily. "After all, you said yourself that my chakra level's increasing! It's not like I'm stupid."_**

_**Kyoko tried to tune her teammate and sensei out as she continued training.**_

"_**I'm back!" Midori called as she came running up to the small group. **_

"_**I understand you want to become a medic nin, Midori," Marieke said. "But you won't learn if you just stay in the library all day. You must train your body, not just your mind."**_

"_**Heh…sorry, sensei," Midori said, rubbing the back of her neck.**_

"_**Still, you're improving," Marieke said. She looked over at Kyoko. "Wrong form, Kyoko."**_

"_**Rr…" Kyoko grumbled heatedly. **_

_**CRACK!**_

"_**What's up with you?!" Nami exclaimed.**_

"**_NOTHING." Kyoko walked away, leaving two very confused teammates and a defiant sensei. _I can do more than they think…I'll show them. Then they'll appreciate my skills.**

"_**What a Short-tempered Psycho."**_

"_**Nami…"**_

_**End Flashback**_

Midori watched her friend nervously. Little did she know that she was thinking of the very same day as Kyoko.

_**Flashback**_

_**Midori lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. It was then she heard the noise of a door closing.**_

_**Curiously, she snuck out of her room just in time to see a blue heel disappear behind the apartment door. Midori quietly followed and discovered that it was Kyoko. Trailing her teammate, Midori found herself hiding behind a tree, watching her teammate start practicing taijutsu. **_

_**Kyoko was too fixated on getting her form right as Marieke had instructed to notice Midori only a few meters away. **_

**_Midori watched as realization struck her. _Kyoko...**

**_End Flashback_**

_She wants more than anything to prove herself to us, _Midori thought. _Nami and I have been improving at a quick rate…She has too, but Marieke-sensei has yet to give her praise…And ever since the mission, she's wanted to surpass Nami…_

She glimpsed at Nami from the corner of her eye. Her confident teammate was staring down into the arena silently.

"I…won't…lose…to you!" Kyoko shakily picked herself up. She slowly reached into her holster and took out a few more needles.

Ken narrowed his eyes. "You should've stayed down." He shot more lightning at Kyoko who loosed her needles into the air, then forced one into the ground. She narrowed her eyes in concentration. Suddenly, the needles stood six feet straight into the air in the lightning's way. As the energy ran through the point of the highest needle, Kyoko quickly let go of the needle stuck in the ground and the tower fell.

"That's pretty smart…" Shikamaru commented, understanding what had taken place.

"What?" Ino said, confused.

"I don't get it!" Chouji exclaimed.

"What?!" Ken said in shock. _How did she do that?! _

As if reading his mind, Kyoko said, "Lightning strikes the tallest object in the area, right? All I had to do was make a rod through needles and chakra. Easy!" _Yeah right, _she thought. _I used up a little too much chakra than I needed to for that…better finish! _She winced as she stood up. After a few seconds, she started running, hands deep into her holster and back pouch.

Ken blasted countless smaller bursts of lightning which were simply stopped by Kyoko's constant needles. She knew he was weakening from the constant chakra use.

"Take this!" Kyoko shouted as she kicked Ken's hand, forcing him to drop the sword. Turning around quickly, she smashed her fist into his face, sending him flying. When Ken hit the wall, Kyoko's fist was still outstretched, frozen in place as her shoulders heaved up and down with exhaustion.

After a quick check, Hayate looked over at Kyoko and said, "Winner: Shimizu Kyoko."

Kyoko seemed to unfreeze as she heard this. Her body ached and her skin was scorched, but her heavy breathing was shortened as her mouth broke into a smile. "I…won! I won!" she cheered. She smirked at the boy being carried away on the stretcher. "And _that's _how it's done!"

"Wow…" Naruto said in awe.

"Incredible," Lee mumbled.

Tenten smiled. "That's the power of a devoted kunoichi."

As she passed the sand team, Kankuro and Temari gave a fleeting look at her from the corner of their eyes.

_She used simple needles…weapons that barely damage an adversary…and won, _Temari thought. _Not bad…_

_This crazy chick is something, _Kankuro thought. _But it's not like her opponent was all that tough. _

_What a fluke, _one of Ken's teammates thought. _Ken wasn't the most powerful out of us anyway…But I'll avenge his loss anyway. _He looked at Kyoko. _Getting beaten by a female…what a disgrace._

_This all-female team isn't to be taken lightly…_ Dosu thought as Kyoko reached her team. _So far I've seen that fierce Nami girl from the battle in the Forest of Death...then Midori can reduce damage of wounds at her age…and Kyoko's shown to be a good opponent. I wonder…what else they can do…_

"…So…?" Kyoko said cheerfully.

Nami was leaning against the rail with her arms crossed and eyes closed while Midori sat against the wall wearily. Her eyes were closed as well.

Kyoko frowned. "Aren't you guys gonna congratulate me?"

Nami opened her eyes casually. "Oh. You're still alive."

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT! MIDORI! SAY SOMETHING!"

Midori slowly half-opened her eyes. "Sorry, Kyoko…good job," she said tiredly.

Kyoko grumbled something and angrily crossed her arms over her chest. Slouching against the wall, she said, "This is the congratulations I get for passing the preliminary round from my _faithful _teammates…always cheering me on…"

"Oh, give your teammates a break, Kyoko," Marieke said with a smile hidden with her mask. "I'd say you did very well."

Kyoko smiled happily.

Marieke smiled as well with the concealment of her mask. She looked over at Midori whose breathing had become clear, and frowned. Before she could say anything, Midori stood up and took out a small bottle from her back pouch. "Kyoko."

"Hm?" Kyoko looked over at her teammate. "Is that…?"

Midori nodded. "A healing ointment. Half your body's scorched. You should take it."

Kyoko grinned toothily. "Thanks." She took the ointment gratefully and started applying it onto her burns.

Midori gave a small smile and looked back at the screen distantly. _It's a good thing I bought all these in advance…it looks like we're gonna need it._

_

* * *

_

Another chapter done! I may not be as good as other people when it comes to thinking up battle strategies, but the needle-thing made sense to me...sort of...I guess. O.O Oh, I don't know. It was kind of in the spur of the moment, but it all worked out in the end. Aaaaaaaah...I'm sleepy now. It's like...two-thirty right now for me, so I think I'll go to bed. I'll sleep well tonight knowing that I'll have a nice amount of reviews in the morning. RIGHT? Right.

Happy Easter, everybody!

R&R please!

-HM


	20. Match Cut Short

OMG THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS EVERYONE! Reading some of them were pretty amusing. I was so overjoyed with the reviews that I decided to update TODAY. ALL RIGHT. Plus yesterday was kind of crappy (that is...BESIDES the reviews) and I just wanted to get some good things in today. Call it karma if you'd like. XD This chapter is shorter than the others (I can't seem to lengthen it anymore...) but still good. Again, THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

"Next match," Nami said, glancing at the Sand team.

_My turn at last! _Kankuro thought.

Kankuro and Misumi stood in the middle of the arena, ready for battle.

"Midori," Marieke said, standing next to her. "You don't seem yourself. What happened in the Second Exam?"

"Nothing happened, sensei," Midori said, walking away. "I need to go to the bathroom real quick."

A few minutes later, Midori was staring at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. _Oh man…I really don't look too good…what _did _happen? If I got poisoned, then I would be dead by now, right? Not only that, but—I have a zit?! _She shook her head. _Get a hold of yourself, Midori. Focus. Okay...I was with Neji…and we battled those grass ninja…and I was trapped in that jutsu…that was supposed to have poison. I obviously got poisoned…but it just doesn't make sense. Unless…was it some kind of special poison that works slowly? _

Midori rotated her wrist slowly. _Yes…my joints are stiffening…barely. But I can't back down now. Kyoko won and I doubt Nami will have any trouble either…I'm not going to be left behind. Oh…come on, hands of fate! Give me a sign here! When's _my _turn?! _

She gazed back at her reflection and noticed a white, little dot on the mirror. Annoyed, she carefully scratched the dot and cursed that she was such a germaphobe outside her home.

CRACK.

"Eh?!" Midori gasped as part of the mirror cracked. It was a small crack, not too noticeable.

Midori quickly pulled her hand away instinctively, shocked. _…That's not a good sign…Now I have a weird feeling…_ Shaking the odd feeling off, she walked out the door and back into the room.

Once Midori got back, Sakura and Ino were in the limelight.

"Hey, Midori," Nami said suddenly. "We have this awesome idea."

"Huh?"

"We figured with all the other shinobi here, we should go 'gather some info', ya know?" Nami said, jabbing Midori and winking.

"You guys can go," Kyoko said, crossing her arms. "But I'm staying right here."

Nami rolled her eyes. "Duh. You were the one who picked this place. But Chuckie here is creeping me out," she whispered, jabbing a finger towards Gaara.

Kyoko's face flushed. "You…"

"Bye!"

Nami disappeared, running down the stairs and across the sidelines with Midori quickly following afterward. By this time, Sakura and Ino had been retrieved by their teachers. A small, concerned crowd surrounded the two kunoichi while Nami and Midori took their places in between Team Gai and Team Seven.

Lee noticed the two girls immediately and smiled. "Nami-san! Midori-chan! Hello!"

"Eh, don't call me 'san', Lee!" Nami said, smacking the boy upside the head playfully. "Just call me Nami! Oh, and thanks for the save in the Forest of Death."

Lee smiled. "All right."

"What're you doing over here anyway, huh?" Naruto asked.

"What's the matter with hangin' around with the other Konoha ninja, huh Ototo?" Nami said, ruffling Naruto's hair.

Naruto sweat dropped. _Since when am I her little brother? _

Midori smiled sheepishly at her teammate.

"So your teammate is all right then?" Lee asked.

"That's right," Midori nodded. "I guess that Kumo guy's attacks weren't really effective for long periods of time."

Lee nodded.

"Are Sakura and Ino okay?"

"They're both knocked out," Naruto piped. "Sakura-chan could've totally won though!"

"Right…" Nami said doubtfully.

"Looks like it's my turn," Tenten said suddenly as she hopped into the arena.

"All right, Tenten! GO!" Lee cheered loudly.

---

A mere seven minutes had passed and yet none of Kyoko's teammates had gone. Nami was getting restless. No, she was getting _beyond _restless. She was lashing out in her mind, angrily awaiting _her _turn and who she was going to fight and when _she _was going to finally get to _fight. _HISS. FOAM.

Tapping her foot impatiently, she watched as Kin gave herself a concussion against the wall. Suddenly, an idea formed in her mind. Grinning deviously, she took out a kunai, a piece of paper, and a pen.

"All right, Shikamaru!" Ino cheered happily for her teammate. "You did it!"

Shikamaru, who was still in the bridge position was about to flip backward when suddenly a kunai came whizzing towards him. _Ah crap, what now?! _Shikamaru fell flat on his back to avoid the kunai. _Ow..._

Hayate glanced tiredly at the kunai then followed the direction to a girl in the stands. Raising an eyebrow, he noticed a paper tied to the kunai. However, it didn't blow the arena to bits so he decided that it _wasn't _an exploding tag and she _wasn't _a spy for some distant country and/or an organization of fugitives. Walking over, he tore the paper from the kunai and read, "'Way to go…Shik.'" What the crap?

Shikamaru turned slightly red but it was nothing compared to the look of pure aggravation on his face. Looking up at the grinning and waving Nami, he muttered, "You could've just _told _me that without having to spike me with a kunai."

Apparently, Nami didn't hear him because she just went on smiling. Either that or she just really didn't care.

"Okay…" Hayate coughed. "We will proceed to the next match now…"

"It's gonna be me, please let it be me," Naruto prayed.

"No, I will have my turn next!" Lee said devotedly.

"Wrong! _I'm _gonna go!" Nami declared.

Names flashed on the screen overhead and once again, two names were left.

MOYA INAZUMARU VS. HIKARI MIDORI

The three stared at Midori who had a blank look on her face. Sighing, Midori hopped over the railing and into the spotlight.

"She doesn't really look like she wants to do this," Naruto remarked.

_I wonder what happened in the Forest of Death to make her this way? _Nami thought.

"YEAH! GO MIDORI-CHAN!"

Midori smiled weakly but suddenly frowned when she saw the _very _unpleasant look on her green-eyed, blond opponent's face.

"You can't be serious," the one named Inazumaru sneered. "I'm supposed to fight a _girl_?"

"Is your whole team sexist?" Midori said with a tint of annoyance in her voice.

Inazumaru smirked. "Maybe. But it's only because I'm a gentleman who doesn't hurt girls."

Midori snorted.

"Begin!"

Midori backed up, waiting for the boy to make a move.

"You gonna just stand there? You're only making it easier!" He started to run, arms crossed with bundles of kunai in both hands. Hands outstretched, he tossed the weapons at his adversary.

Midori simply stepped to the side, a little confused. Was it because her body was numbing that her brain was playing tricks on her? Probably not. The weapons were obviously all going in one straight direction as opposed to honing on the target. Who _was _this guy?

"Haha, this guy sucks," Nami snickered. "Midori won't have trouble with him."

_How did someone like this pass the second exam? Even if his teammates are stars, the percentage of him screwing something up would be over ninety percent at least,_ Marieke thought.

"But how does Midori-chan do that?" Lee wondered. "She didn't seem the type to be so strong physically to me."

"That's why she has that crystal around her neck!" Nami explained, pointing at Midori. "See? It enhances her chakra ability tenfold! Compliments to her home country and clan!"

Lee's eyes widened in amazement.

Neji glanced at the two from the corner of his eye, then back down at the 'fight'. _I knew she was from a clan from our encounter in the forest but…which clan? _

From across the room, Kyoko sweat dropped. "Midori's lucky. He's all mouth and no skills."

Marieke didn't answer.

Inazumaru seemed frustrated that his kunai hadn't pelted Midori perfectly. He started to run, fist extended. Throwing a punch, he grunted as he was sent forward, feeling Midori's hand on his head as she pushed him down.

Midori leapt into the air a few feet, the Hikari Suishou glowing. Then she hurled her chakra-pounding leg downwards, kicking the boy in that very direction.

Inazumaru crashed to the ground but denied losing. He threw a smoke bomb down and instantly the area was cloaked with the smog.

Neji activated his Byakugan, eyes narrow.

It was then that Midori suddenly felt tense when her body started to pulse. Clumsily, she touched the ground and held her stomach. She glanced around warily, though her eyelids seemed to be weighted down with inertia. _What's happening…?_

Before she knew it, she collapsed, her strange defeat hidden in the haze.

---The Next Day---

"Is she okay?"

"I don't know."

"What should we do?"

"Just stay here and wait, I guess."

"I bet cold water would work."

"I bet it would."

Midori's eyes flickered open to see a bottle of water tipping ever so slightly over her face. Shrieking, she slapped the bottle away, soaking the bottom of the white bed she was in. Wait…white bed?

"Yeesh, Midori. It's like you're always awake when you're…not," Kyoko said.

"Nice wording."

"Shut up."

"What happened?" Midori said. She felt something in her neck and paled. It was a tube. She screamed. Once again, Midori had left the world of consciousness.

A few minutes later, she opened her eyes again.

Her two friends were still there, staring at her in an odd way.

Then she remembered. A TUBE WAS IN HER NECK. AAAAAAHHHH!

Before she could scream again, Nami covered her mouth.

"Don't scream again," she said seriously.

Midori counted to ten in her head then relaxed.

"_Please _tell me what's going on!" Midori said urgently. "What happened to me?"

"You blacked out after that loser used the smoke bomb yesterday," Nami explained, crossing her arms. "I don't know _why_. You were _obviously _winning the battle. What's up with that, huh? That guy doesn't deserve to be a chuunin!"

"I know why," Kyoko said. "I overheard the medics talking about poison in your system or something. Some kind of Grass Country poison that works pretty slowly. They say you're gonna be here for at least a day to recover from the poison removal."

"Well _that _explains a lot," Midori mumbled, sighing and resting her head in her hands. "Sorry guys. Looks like I'm not going to become a chuunin this exam."

"Hey, hey," Nami said. "No worries, you know? You'll just try again next exam. And we, as your chuunin teammates will cheer you on!"

Midori rolled her eyes. Not exactly the words she was looking for, but all right. She then noticed a vase sitting on her bedside table with a daffodil in it.

"Did you guys give me this?" Midori questioned.

"Flowers? Yeah right," Nami scoffed. "Nah, we got you something even _better_."

"What?"

Nami and Kyoko exchanged excited glances as they left the room.

Confused, Midori sat in her half-wet bed and sighed glumly.

A nurse came in and raised an eyebrow. "Um…"

Midori pointed to the empty water bottle that was now on the floor. She turned slightly pink from realizing what the nurse had inferred.

The nurse changed the sheets without another word. Then, turning to Midori she said, "Feeling better? The poison had already gone through three quarters of your body. You could've died."

At being so close to death, Midori felt suddenly ecstatic. SHE WAS ALIVE. "Yes, thanks."

The nurse just smiled and walked out of the room to alert the doctor of the patient's current condition.

Midori noticed that she was now wearing a white patient's dress. She winced. All this white made her eyes hurt and she wasn't too keen on wearing such a short dress.

"SURPRISE!"

Midori jumped at the abrupt voices and started patting her heart to make sure it was still beating. It was a good thing she was in a hospital. What she saw made her flinch.

Nami and Kyoko had their arms swung around a certain boy's shoulders as they pushed him forward. The boy didn't look all that happy.

"N-Neji?!"

* * *

DUN DUN DUN. CLIFFIE! And just a heads up, the next chapter's sort of filler-y. R&R please!

-HM


	21. A Day in the Hospital

Friday 13th. My doomsday. Seriously, I've had a really crappy day and I didn't really feel like updating, but I did anyway because I have to have SOMETHING good happen for me, right? I'd rather not go into details because there's a bunch of drama, but let's just say I haven't really had anything particularly stress-lifting. So, hoping that your day was better than mine, happy Friday the 13th! Anyway, this chapter is a little bit late in the day for me, but I'd still like you all to enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

Nami and Kyoko were grinning ear-to-ear. 

"Your teammates forced me to come here," Neji said exasperatedly.

Midori's expression was stone. Well THAT made sense.

"How rude," Kyoko said, hands on hips. "Some gentleman _you _are."

Neji glared at her, making her sink.

"Well, we'll just leave you two kids alone then!" Nami said unfazed as she dragged Kyoko out of the room.

Neji and Midori stood in silence.

Inner Midori was on a rampage. Did they not _know _that Neji barely _knew _who Midori was? Did they not _know _that they were embarrassing her to _death_? And did they not _know _that Neji was still a cold-hearted jerk who was bent on fate? APPARENTLY NOT.

"I saw what happened."

"Huh?" Midori was taken back from her thoughts of wringing her teammates' necks to Earth.

"You collapsed because of the poison," Neji said. "From that jutsu in the second exam."

If he _knew _then why didn't he _tell _her? Midori was slightly irritated at this.

"Oh," was all she could say.

More silence fell.

"Well, seeing as you're okay," Neji said, heading for the door. "I'll be off."

"Thank you, Neji." Midori did not know if Neji had heard her, for he had already left.

---

"Seeing as you two are the ones who are moving on to the third exam," Marieke said, pacing in front of her students. "I will be training you both till your arms fall off, your legs are numb, and your mind a bulging storage of knowledge! You will be trained from 5 AM to 3 AM and you will always be here ten minutes early! There are only three kunoichi in the third exam, two of them are you two maggots! The rest are consumed by the opposite sex which is _not _acceptable! You will show the others what kunoichi are made of! With my help, you'll be able to _crush _those other competitors into the ground! But you'd better do as I say, got it?!"

Nami and Kyoko were afraid. VERY afraid.

"I said GOT IT?!"

"SIR YES, SIR!"

"I'm a woman!"

"MA'AM YES, MA'AM!"

"Now, fifty laps around the training ground! MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!"

The two terrified girls high-tailed it out of there.

---

Being stuck in a hospital all day wasn't exactly what Midori wanted to do after the horrors of the Chuunin Exams. But people couldn't get everything they wanted, so what should she do? She should be optimistic and find the BETTER of her situation!

After getting the tube removed by the medics (Midori nearly fainted again) Midori decided to go and visit the other hospital occupants who had come fresh from the exams. With a little help from the nurse, she had the room numbers of her friends (more or less) in the hospital.

Deciding to go with the closest room, she went to visit Chouji. After knocking on the door then hearing some shuffling, she heard Chouji's voice.

"Come in!"

Midori came in with a smile. "Hey, Chouji. How're you feeling?"

Chouji stared at the girl. He knew that he knew her, but he also knew that he didn't know her name and he knew that she didn't know that he didn't know her name because she seemed to know his name even though he barely knew her and she _also_ knew where his room was and came to visit even though he knew that she was landed in the hospital by that loser whose name that Chouji didn't know. GASP.

"Uh…hi…you," Chouji tried.

Midori understood. Chouji didn't know who she was.

Chouji just saw her smile and was confused.

"Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself!" Midori said laughably. "I'm Midori, from the Chuunin Exams, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember!" Chouji nodded. It was ALL coming back to him now. "How'd you know me? You got knocked out of the preliminaries before my battle."

"Oh…well…"

"Oh wait, that's right! It was your teammate who beat me…" Chouji said, trailing off. He wasn't really used to talking to any girl besides Ino, and even _she _made him a little nervous.

"She did…? I mean, she did!" Midori said with agreement. _I forgot to ask how the exams turned out! I guess I know now…_

Silence.

"Yeah, that last punch really knocked my stomach out," Chouji said suddenly, patting his stomach. "But the doctors say I'm gonna be out soon."

"Oh, good to know," Midori said.

"Yeah, I'm not going to make chuunin this year," Chouji continued. "But I'm gonna train hard for the next exam!"

Midori smiled with a bit of admiration. "Right. Us both." She stood up and started for the door. "Train hard, Chouji. I'll see you around." With a short wave, she was gone, leaving a determined and slightly bewildered Chouji.

_Yes! My first actual conversation with a girl besides Ino! _Chouji punched the air. _Before I get out of the hospital, maybe I'll even talk to that cute nurse! _

---

"Fifty! Fifty-one! Fifty-two! Fifty-three!"

"Help…me…"

"Fifty-four! Fifty-five! Fifty-six!"

"No…more…"

Nami and Kyoko were doing push-ups. Actually, they hadbeen doing push-ups ever since their five-second break after the fifty laps.

"Sensei…break…please…" Kyoko gasped.

"Fine, fine, fine," Marieke sighed. "You girls are pathetic. You get ten seconds."

"EEEEEEEHHHHHHH?!" the girls screeched.

"All right, all right," Marieke said as she rolled her eyes. "Ten minutes. But that's IT. I have to go prepare your next exercise anyway." As soon as she finished, she disappeared in a puff of smoke and the two exhausted girls collapsed.

"I can't feel my everything…" Nami groaned.

"Sensei's definitely gone overboard, that's for sure…" Kyoko agreed. "If we don't win this exam-tournament thing, she'll work us to our graves!" Animated tears ran down her cheeks. "I don't wanna die like thaaaaaat!"

"Get a hold of yourself, woman!" Nami exclaimed, slapping her friend.

Kyoko stared at her. "Ow." She slapped Nami.

"Hey!"

Kyoko ducked as Nam tried to slap her once more.

Nami gave up and placed her hands on her hips in a business-like fashion. "We can't give up after just a little pain, Kyoko! We're kunoichi, independent female ninja! We'll show everyone what we can do, and we'll become chuunin!"

"That's right!" Kyoko exclaimed, standing next to her teammate. "No matter the odds, no matter how difficult the training, we'll win!"

"YEAH!" the two punched the air.

Suddenly, two puffs of smoke appeared reavealing…

"What's shakin'?"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHH?!" the two shrieked, ducking for cover.

Gai stood next to Marieke in pose number nineteen.

"Calm down, girls," Marieke said nonchalantly. "Gai here has volunteered to help you girls out."

"That's right! Seeing as Neji doesn't want me to train him for some reason…I've decided to help Marieke train you two!"

Nami and Kyoko twitched.

"First thing is you've got to change your wardrobe to be light and comfortable!" Gai declared, whipping out two green spandex suits. YOUNG WOMEN'S SIZE.

Lightning, please strike. NOW.

---

Midori stopped at Lee's door to suddenly be bowled over by three frantic females.

"WHAT DOES HE THINK HE'S DOING?!"

"Lee-san!"

Ino stopped to see Midori steadying herself. "Midori?"

"Ino!" Midori said, shaking her head. "What's up?"

"Lee's outside doing push-ups in his state!" Ino exclaimed.

Midori's eyes widened.

The two girls quickly ran after the nurse and Sakura. Soon, the group of four came outside, rushing over to the injured taijutsu master who was indeed doing push-ups. A LOT of push-ups.

"Lee, you shouldn't push yourself!" the nurse advised urgently.

"N…No," Lee said, doing another push-up with his good arm. "I…must do…a hundred push-ups…Ninety-seven…"

"Lee-kun," Midori whispered, eyes hard.

"Oh…" the nurse had a 'why me?' look on her face. "I can't watch…"

"Ninety-eight…ninety…nine…"

Suddenly, Lee collapsed.

"Lee-san/Lee-kun!"

"Oh no! I'll get the doctor!" the nurse said quickly, hurrying off once more.

The three girls knelt down closer to the fallen boy.

"Lee-san…" Sakura said softly. "Why…why are boys so persistent and stubborn?"

"Don't ask me…" Ino sighed. "I'm not a boy."  
_They just want to prove so much, _Midori thought to herself. _Especially Lee-kun…he's so unlucky and yet he has the drive of a genius. _"I wish…"

Ino and Sakura looked at Midori.

"…That I could have half as much dedication as he does."

The other two silently agreed.

---

Kyoko wanted to cry. Here she was, doing a hundred sit-ups. Then after that she'd have to do two hundred push-ups. After THAT she'd have to do three hundred laps around KONOHA. And if she failed to any one of those, she had to do four hundred jumping jacks. And she had to do all this with NAMI. MAN. Her life SUCKED.

"Shoulders off the ground, girls!" Gai called as he did the exercise with the girls. That is…HE was doing it at about a ten sit-ups per minute while the girls were doing it at one. He turned his head to Marieke while still pulling himself up and down. "Marieke! Do the training with us! That's how I raised _my _students!"

"Each sensei has his or her own way of teaching," Marieke said as she turned a page of a familiar book.

"EH?! That's Kakashi-sensei's book!" Kyoko shouted as she pointed at Marieke accusingly.

"Oh no! Marieke-sensei's turning into an ecchi-loving Kakashi clone!" Nami moaned.

Marieke shot the two girls a glare. "I am _not_."

"_Denial_."

"You girls failed to complete your sit-ups! That's four hundred jumping jacks! NOW!"

"Yes ma'am!"

---

Midori had skipped Sasuke's room, remembering that he wasn't there. Before Ino and Sakura left, Sakura revealed that she had remembered that Midori was in the hospital and gave her the flower she had wanted to give to Sasuke. Midori was surprised, but smiled at that.

"Thanks, Sakura," Midori had said. "It means a lot."

Sakura had just shrugged and smiled. "Sasuke-kun wouldn't like flowers anyway…"

Now Midori was back in her room. The doctor told her that she would be free to go in the morning, and she couldn't wait to get out of the hospital and back with her friends.

_It won't be easy for Nami and Kyoko to get past the Third Exam, _Midori thought. _With opponents like them…they may not stand a great chance…_

---

Neji slammed his hand against the tree. He was sweating intensely, and his breath quickened as he landed another blow. Why was it that that Midori girl always appeared in his life? Before the Chuunin Exams, _during _the Chuunin Exams...her teammates were crazy, and he was not sure what he thought of her.

_She is just a girl. Someone who would not increase my chances of attaining the title of chuunin, _Neji thought. _A distraction...that is all._

---

That night, Inazumaru jauntily walked through the streets of Konoha towards the hotel he was staying at. Happy with his win, his gargantuan ego was now ten times larger. Before he could get to the hotel, however, he heard a commotion above on a roof nearby. Being curious and not the sharpest tool in the shed, he scaled the walls of a store (when the shop owner wasn't looking, of course) and saw a redhead on the roof a few ways away, sitting tranquilly.

"Hey, you!" he shouted, recognizing the redhead. "What happened, huh? The roof's covered with blood!"

Gaara turned his head slowly, a manic look on his face. The shadows only enhanced the creepy features.

Inazumaru shivered as a cold feeling jolted through his spine. He was about to retreat when Gaara shot toward him, his body transforming.

"W-Wait! AAAAAAAAAH!"

* * *

I didn't reread this one on account of not having enough time (CURSE WEEKEND HOMEWORK AND PROJECTS!) but I hope it's all right. This chapter was written at an earlier time. But you know what kind of sucks though? I realized that Sakura and Ino's visiting everyone must have come _later _in the month that the contestants had to prepare for the exams. Not the day _after _the prelims. D'OH! Anyway, I figured thought out right after I wrote this chapter, but since I'm lazy and I don't want to change it, I hope you guys don't mind either. Heh... 

R&R please!

-HM


	22. Love or Loathe? Neji's LONG Day

Okay, so this is the last filler-ish chapter that isn't ACTUALLY a filler but SEEMS like a filler until the Chuunin Exams! Yay! Oh, and if I didn't make it clear earlier, (which I probably didn't) Nami's supposed to fight Dosu (the numbers are even now) and Kyoko's supposed to fight Inzumaru. I guess it wouldn't matter since they're just going to--AAAAAHHH! I was about to give SPOILERS! THAT was _close_!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

Early sunlight peeked over the Hokage Mountain gradually, painting the village of Konoha with a golden brush. Majority of the village's occupants were still fast asleep while the ones who were awake were already starting their day. One of these people was the ever so likeable Shimizu Kyoko.

Kyoko had left the apartment early to get a head-start on training. She sauntered through Konoha, noticing a few people setting up their shops and doing some last-minute cleaning. Her abnormally good hearing picked up tidbits of conversations as she passed.

"Yeah, I'm thinkin' of raising the prices…"

"Scrub clockwise like this!"

"…And he's like, _so _cute, you know! But then she like, totally, like, _stole _him from me…"

"And there were little traces of blood on the rooftop, I swear!"

Kyoko's ears perked as she heard the word 'blood'. She stopped in mid-step and turned quickly towards the pair of leisure men. "What did you say?"

"Didn't you hear?" one of the men said.

"Probably not," the other man said. "The blood was wiped away immediately by the ANBU as not to raise any tension, but they didn't count on me seeing it." He turned to Kyoko. "Let me tell you, it was a terrifying sight seeing the blood. The roof itself wasn't in great shape either, you know. It seems like there was some kind of attack there, or something. I have no idea."

Kyoko nodded. _Blood on a rooftop, huh? _She shook her head. _I've got a lot of work to do…_

"Yo, Kyoko."

"NAAA!" Kyoko jumped at the sound of a voice. Spinning around, she came face-to-face with Nami. "Nami?!"

"Why'd you leave so early?" Nami cocked her head to the side.

"To train, why else?" Kyoko said coolly.

Nami raised an eyebrow. "You're not thinking of beating me in the third exam, are you?"

"The thought's crossed my mind once or twice."

"Hmph. Well I'm not gonna let that happen."

"Of course not. We're rivals."  
The two girls crossed their arms and turned away, sneering in unison.

"Hm?" Kyoko suddenly caught sight of a familiar-looking white/lavender-eyed boy walking a number of feet away. Forgetting her conversation with Nami, she grabbed her teammate and turned her, forcing her to notice the Hyuuga. "Look, it's Neji!"

"Huh?" Her eyes widened slightly. "It is. You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

Kyoko grinned slyly.

"Oi, Neji!"

Neji reluctantly turned when he heard his name being called and saw the two girls jogging towards him. _Oh great. _

"Hi Neji!" Kyoko said in a friendly tone. "How's it going, huh?"

Neji raised an eyebrow. "Fine."

"Where are you going?"

"That is of no concern of yours."

"My, my, we're a bit touchy today, aren't we?" Nami said jokingly.

"Is there a reason why you two are wasting my time?" Neji said coldly.

"We know what happened during the Forest of Death," Kyoko said furtively. "What's your motive, huh?"

Neji stared at her incredulously. "What are you blathering about?"

"Cut the act, Neji," Nami said, placing her hands on her hips. "We _know _you're a regular ice cube with the personality of a log, so why suddenly show some compassion, huh?"

Neji narrowed his eyes in evident exasperation. "For one thing, she's not as irritating as you two." With that being said, he stalked off.

"Why does Midori like that guy?" Kyoko wondered.

"Same reason you like that psychotic killing-machine?" Nami guessed.

Kyoko glared daggers at Nami.

Nami grinned toothily. "You know, I don't think Midori has enough ambition to win the Ice King's heart."

"What do you mean?"

"I _mean _that if she and Neji are gonna hook up, her two _best friends _need to help her out. After all, at the pace _she's _going, they'll probably get together by the time they're twenty."

"True…" Kyoko nodded. "But what do you want us to do? Meddle into her business?"

"Not _meddle_," Nami said carefully. "We know that Midori likes Neji, so we're doing her a _favor_. See?"

"Oh…"

"So, what're we waiting for? The Ice King's not gonna melt himself!"

"Right! Midori's gonna owe us big-time!"

"Why's that?"

"EEK/AIEE!"

Midori stared at her two teammates with her hands clasped behind her back and a suspicious look on her face. "You two aren't exactly the only ones who get up early around here. What is it that you're talking about, hm?"

Kyoko and Nami regained their composures and averted their eyes. "_Nothing_."

Midori raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" She could tell her two teammates were hiding something. That _and _she heard them talking about some melting of ice or something like that…

"Okay, okay," Nami sighed, suddenly a serious look on her face. "We were talking about…getting Naruto a girlfriend, he really needs one."

"Right…" Midori said doubtfully. "How about you tell me what's _really _going on?"

"Okay, _fine_. We're getting _Sasuke _a girlfriend before he decides to take the low road."

Serious stare.

"Come on, Midori!" Kyoko exclaimed. "You saw the signs! Neji gave you a _scroll _for crying out loud!"

"You were talking about Neji?" Midori's eyes widened with realization.

"You…didn't know?"

"Way to go, Kyoko," Nami said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no," Midori said, turning around and shaking her head. "You guys are _not _going to bother him about _anything _okay?" She whirled around and stared critically at her teammates. "You got that? You _won't_."

"Oh, _we _won't," Nami said, crossing her arms. "_You _will."

"Huh?"

CRACK. THUMP.

"Nice job, Kyoko."

"Thanks."

---

…

"I think she's waking up."

"I-I h-hope she's a-alright."

"How'd she get this way anyway?"

Midori sleepily opened her eyes to see two girls with identical eyes staring down at her. She screamed loudly.

"AAAAAAHHHH—ooooowwww…" Midori rotated her shoulders and placed her hand over her right one. GEEZ. She just came out of the HOSPITAL.

"M-Midori-chan?"

"Huh? Hinata?" Midori looked up at the blue/black-haired girl. "What're you doing here?" She turned gaze around the room. "Where…_is _here?"

"The Hyuuga Mansion."

Midori finally noticed Hinata's little sister, Hanabi standing there. "H—I mean, who are you?"

"I'm Hanabi," Hanabi said, leaning in towards Midori and examining her. "Neji-niisan found you outside lying out in the street somewhere. What were you doing, huh?"

"Ne-Neji?!"

"Yeah," Hanabi nodded, slightly confused. "He always goes out training in the woods, you know. And when he found you, he wasn't sure of what to do, so he brought you here because you didn't seem hurt at all, just sleeping! And he didn't know where you lived and your teammates weren't—"

"My teammates…" Midori said suddenly, narrowing her eyes. She angrily clenched her fists. _I can't believe they'd _do _this to me! Would they really sink _this _low? When I get back, I'm gonna kick their—_

"M-Midori-chan?"

"Eh?" Midori was pulled out of her thoughts by the shy girl's voice.

"Y-You had a s-strange look on y-your face…W-What were you thinking about?"

"Oh, well," Midori said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "It's nothing, really!" She stood up and hopped off the bed, walking towards the door. Thank you for your hospitality and I—oomf!"

"You weren't about to leave, were you, girl?"

"H-Hello, father!" Hinata said, bowing timidly.

"Father?" Midori looked up to see that she had unfortunately run into the Hyuuga lord. She jumped backwards instinctively and bowed, frightened. "I-I'm sorry, sir!"

"Well," Hiashi said brusquely, "Where do you think you're off to?"

"Um…somewhere," Midori said. "I don't want to intrude—"

"Nonsense," Hiashi said. "I expect you to express gratitude to my nephew who brought you here."

"Eh?"

"That's right," Hiashi said stonily. "Unless…you'd like the disapproval of the Hyuuga Clan."

"…I'll go find Neji!"

Midori slid past Hiashi anxiously and disappeared.

---

"There he is," Nami whispered. "Working his butt off as always."

"He's got the right idea," Kyoko admitted. "Shouldn't _we _be training for the exams?"

"Stupid, this _is _training," Nami said. "Now shut up before he hears you."

"I think we have company, Tenten," Neji said suddenly, staring up into the trees.

"Huh?" Tenten followed his gaze and saw the two girls crammed onto one branch nearby. "Well what do you know…?" She placed her hands on her hips. "It's two of the three-woman team hanging out in the trees. What're you guys doing up there?"

"Uh…well…funny story actually," Nami chuckled nervously. _Dang it! That's the last time I try to hide from a dude with Byakugan! _

"We just want to hang out with you guys, that's all!" Kyoko said quickly, jumping down from the branch.

"…Hang out with us?" Tenten said, raising an eyebrow.

Kyoko nodded and put an arm around Tenten's shoulder, pulling her off to the side for a moment. Whispering, she said, "You know what happened in the Forest of Death?"

Tenten shook her head.

"Well, your teammate Neji over there left _our _teammate Midori a _scroll_ and also helped her out in a battle!" she whispered excitedly.'

Tenten's eyes widened. "_No_. Seriously? He'd _never _do _that_!"

Kyoko nodded. "I know, right? Well, he did. And Nami and I just want to get him to admit it, you know?"

Tenten nodded eagerly. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, definitely! I'll help you dig deep inside his soul!"

"Ahem." Neji cleared his throat, instantly making the two girls whirl around. "Mind telling me what you two are talking about?"

"Nothing, Neji!" Tenten said quickly. "You know, I think we've trained enough for today, don't you think?"

Neji looked at her strangely. He was no dummy, and Tenten didn't get tired that easily. What were these females up to?

"I just remembered I had some stuff to do with these two here!" Tenten said, gesturing towards Kyoko and Nami. "You know, girl stuff! I'll see you later!"

Before Neji could object, the three girls were gone. Shaking his head, he decided to leave the training grounds as well to have a bite to eat.

---

"So you're saying that Neji might have hidden feelings for this Midori girl, right?" Tenten asked doubtfully. "The same Midori who lost to that wannabe Kumo ninja, no offense."

"That guy cheated!" Nami claimed angrily. "I'm gonna punch his face in when I get the chance, but that's _off _topic! Don't you see it, Tenten?"

Tenten thought for a moment. "No, not really. But Neji wasn't always one to showcase his emotions."

"You see what we mean!" Kyoko said spiritedly.

"But you need to be sure," Tenten said. "If your hunch was to be mistaken and something goes wrong…well…let's say Neji wouldn't exactly put you on his best friend's list."

"What best friends?" Kyoko said.

Tenten shrugged.

"Then we'll just test them!" Nami exclaimed.

"When will the time come when Neji and Midori are actually _together _normally?" Kyoko said, raising an eyebrow.

Just as she said that, Midori came sprinting up to the three, panting. "Tenten! Just the person I wanted to see! Do you know where Neji is?"

Tenten stared at her for a moment then nodded. Pointing in the direction behind her, she said, "He should still be in the training site."

"Thanks!" With a short wave, she continued her journey.

Kyoko and Nami exchanged crafty glances then gave Tenten knowing looks.

"That wouldn't prove anything," Tenten said, crossing her arms.

"Maybe Midori's gonna ask him out!" Kyoko suggested.

"Shyeah right," Nami said. "Midori doesn't have the guts to do that. So then what's she doing? She didn't even stop to yell at us for—uh…"

"For what?" Tenten asked when Nami trailed off.

"For…leaving her…in front of the Hyuuga estate by herself!"

Tenten looked confused.

"Never mind anyway, it's not important!" Kyoko said hastily. "What _is_, though, is finding out what the heck Midori's doing!"

"Right!"

"Okay…" Tenten said uncertainly. _I don't know what I'm getting myself into but…_ "Hey!" she called once she realized the two girls had left her to her thoughts. "Wait for me!"

---

The three girls found Midori talking to Neji still in the training sight. They quickly darted into the bushes and peeked at the two. Neji's face seemed a bit confused if a raised eyebrow counted as confused and Midori's back was turned towards them so they couldn't make out what her expression was like. However, she seemed to be moving her arms around quite a bit as if she were trying to persuade him or explain something.

"See? Arm movements. That means she's nervous and she's trying to ask him out," Kyoko whispered victoriously.

"No!" Nami hissed. "I know Midori, and those arm movements mean she's trying to explain something to him! I bet he saw her with another guy or something and now she's trying to explain why!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yeah-huh!"

Tenten looked from Kyoko to Nami to Kyoko to Nami as the girls kept quarreling in hushed voices. "Sh! Neji's hearing is almost as good as his sight," she warned. "Be quiet!"

"We have to get closer," Nami proposed, inching towards another bunch of bushes. "I can't hear anything!"

"So," Midori said, averting her eyes away from the Hyuuga boy, "Thanks for…bringing me to your home."

"It's no big deal," Neji said simply. "I'm a bit curious, though. What were you doing in plain sight?"

"Er…I uh…" Midori rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "I…"

"Hold on," Neji said, saving her the trouble. He looked over Midori's shoulder and called, "Tenten. What are you doing with those two back there?"

"Nothing, Neji!" Tenten exclaimed with a nervous laugh as she popped out of the bushes. "I lost a few of my weapons here after you used Kaiten on them so I came back and Nami and Kyoko wanted to help me so…"

"Don't lie to me, Tenten."

Tenten flinched. "Ah…well…I think I should be going now!" She started to back away but was stopped by Nami and Kyoko who held onto both her arms. "Huh?" she said with confusion as Nami pointed an accusing finger at Neji. "Admit it, Hyuuga!"

_Oh crap… _Midori thought urgently. _Don't say it, don't say it, don't say—_

"You love Midori!"

Midori slapped her forehead. _…She…said it…_She was falling into a deep, dark abyss of no return at the moment, and as 'of no return' states, there was no going back.

"I what?" Neji blinked then glared at the girls.

"Guys, go away!" Midori shouted uselessly as she swept her hands back and forth as if trying to say 'Shoo!'

Neji stared at Midori for a second, then back at Midori's teammates. "And what makes you think I could possibly have feelings for her?"

Midori winced as he said that and lowered her head.

Kyoko gasped. "How could you say something so heartless, Neji?!"

Neji narrowed his eyes. "How could you say something so naïve?"

"That's it! I'm gonna kick his ass!" Nami said, rolling up her sleeves.

"No, Nami," Midori said quietly. "Don't waste your time trying to defeat him. He's a genius, after all. Right, Neji?" She turned her head towards him and smiled, though it wasn't as cheerful as she wanted it to be. "Thanks again." As she finished her last sentence, she started walking away, staring at the ground.

---Later That Night---

Midori sat on a rooftop silently and stared up at the countless stars twinkling brightly over Konohagakure. The sickle moon shed little light over the village, but there was no need for light, for generally everyone was asleep at this hour. She rested her chin upon her knees which were drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. A cool breeze rustled her clothing slightly and she let out a heavy sigh.

_Why is this bothering me so much? _Midori thought. _It was only this morning he said it. I should've gotten over it by _now_, right? _But she knew she was in denial. Midori had never really been one to get over something that made her upset so quickly, and she was one who got easily upset when the attack was to her self-esteem…or her heart.

_Maybe it's not worth anything at all. It's not like I expected Neji to like me anyway, _the voice inside her head told herself. _He's a cold-hearted Hyuuga who couldn't care less about girls and I shouldn't even like him anyway. But still…I can't help but feel…_

"Excuse me. Would you mind if I sat here?" a voice interrupted her thoughts.

Midori jumped vaguely at the voice, not realizing someone had been standing there. She shook her head. She didn't dare to look at the person.

Neji sat down a few inches away from her with one leg propping up his arm and the other stretched out in front of him. He looked at her for a moment then looked up at the sky. He didn't know w hat possessed him to come here, but after that afternoon he had been feeling quite confused.

"What brings you up here?" Midori said, breaking the silence.

"I come up here during the night because it is quiet. It gives me a break from Gai-sensei and Lee everyday."

"I see."

"And you?"

"I don't know, really," Midori shrugged. "I suppose…it's because from here you can see the stars pretty well…almost as well as from Hokage Mountain."

More silence followed.

"About today," Neji started. "I didn't…" It was then that he realized he didn't know what he wanted to say.

"It's okay," Midori said while hunching over slightly so that half her face was hidden behind her arms that sat atop her knees. "I understand."

Neji was quiet and didn't say anything after that. He didn't even notice the small smile that ran across Midori's face as she glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

_Maybe…It's worth something after all._

* * *

Yes, yes, I do romance slow, I know. (grins) I'm not one to rush into fluffy stuff, so bear with me! I've been quite busy this week, (XD its only Tuesday where I live) but I've got testing coming up next week and there's this big thing on Thursday too. However, I MAY be able to work in another chapter on Friday like usual! Wish me luck on my test! DARN YOU DISTRICT!

R&R please! Review soothe the soul! Until next time!

-HM


	23. The Third Exam: Change of Plans

OMG I'm out of town visiting my younger cousins and I forgot to update earlier because we left early and then when I got here I was like, "OMG NOOOOO! I FORGOT TO UPDATE PANIC!" But then I logged in and saw that I had THIS chapter all ready for update. Then I was like, "I was SO smart to do that." lolz Go me.

Thanks for everyone who reviewed! And...wait a second...ALMOST 100 REVIEWS! R&R PLEASE! R&R PLEASE! HELP ME REACH 100!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

"Ara, ara, ara, ara, ara, ara, ara, ar—"

"SHUT UP!"

Nami opened one eye and looked up at her enraged teammate from her criss-crossed sitting position and said, "_Someone's _a bit touchy today."

"Why are you repeating 'oh' over and over again?!" Kyoko demanded irritably. "I can't concentrate!"

"On what? Eating?"

"YES!"

Midori sighed and a vein pulsed dangerously on her forehead.

"What are you _doing _anyway?!"

"If you _need _to know, it's my good luck chant. I do it before every big battle."

"Since when do you have a good luck chant and since when do you do it before every battle?"

"Since NOW. DUH."

"You're crazy!"

"We'll see who's crazy when _I _win the battle."

Midori scrubbed the bowl harder and closed her eyes, attempting to tune her teammates out.

"You mean when _I _win."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"Yes."

"No—I mean yes!"

"HA! My victory is assured."

"Stop trying to act so cool!"

"I'm not _acting_."

"You are!"

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"Are—"

"SHUT UP," Midori ordered, whirling around angrily. "Keep acting like this and you'll _never _achieve chuunin level!"

"Hmph!" the two girls huffed as they avoided contact.

"We'll save this for the exam!" Kyoko declared.

"I can't wait," Nami said.

Midori checked the clock and said, "It's probably about time we go now." She took Kyoko's bowl and quickly scrubbed it. Then, turning to her teammates she said, "You guys ready?"

"Yeah/Totally!" Kyoko and Nami replied.

It didn't take long for the girls to reach the stadium, and the two chuunin at the door greeted them warmly. As they walked into the circular building, the three knew it was time for them to go their separate ways.

"See you two later," Midori said, waving at her two teammates. "And guys…don't kill each other, okay?"

"Don't worry, Midori!" Nami said confidently. "Before anything bad happens, Kyoko will be on her knees, begging for mercy!"

"Ha! You wish!" Kyoko said, shoving Nami.

Nami gasped. "Oh no you _didn't._" She shoved Kyoko back which triggered a jostle-contest and smack talk.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Midori hollered, pulling the two apart. "Save it for the arena!"

"Fine!" Nami and Kyoko shouted, storming off in different directions.

"Guys," Midori said, sighing. "The entrance to the battle field's _that _way."

"I knew that!" the girls declared, turning around.

Midori rolled her eyes and made her way towards the stands where hundreds of people had already found their seats. _I should've come earlier, _she thought.

"Midori! Hey, Midori!"

Midori turned her attention to a particularly noisy brown-haired Inuzuka who was waving wildly at her.

Smiling, she took the free seat next to Hinata. "Hi, Kiba-kun, Hinata-chan."

"H-Hello Midori-chan," Hinata greeted.

"You're teammates are fighting each other, right?" Kiba asked. "Harsh."

"Yeah, but I don't think they mind," Midori said, glancing into the arena where most of the contestants were assembling. "I think they've been waiting to duke it out for quite some time..." _I just hope they don't hurt each other too badly…_

"Then…who are you cheering for?"

"I don't know…"

"Well, don't take it personally if Shino has to wipe your teammates out during the matches," Kiba grinned.

Midori smiled, raising an eyebrow. "Whatever you say, Kiba-kun…"

It was then that Hinata started coughing terribly.

"Hinata, you okay?" Kiba asked with concern.

"D-Don't worry, I-I'm fine," Hinata assured him.

Kiba looked a bit reluctant, but said nothing about it. "All right, Hinata."

However, Kiba was getting a little more doubtful as Neji and Naruto's battle progressed. His more timid teammate had been having spurts of coughing fits, and his natural big-brother senses were tugging on his heart for quite some time now.

As Hinata erupted into a volcano of coughs once more, Kiba put a hand on her back worriedly. "Hey, Hinata, you sure you're okay?"

"Why don't I take a look at her?"

"Huh?" Kiba looked up.

Midori noticed the man as well and narrowed her eyes. It was an "ANBU" member with a decorated mask. His hood made him even more distinctly mysterious. When she realized the man was staring straight at her, she averted her eyes. _Kabuto, _she thought.

"Could you really do that?" Kiba asked him, not noticing Midori's subtle actions.

"Sure," Kabuto said, turning back to Kiba.

Kiba moved aside so Kabuto could take possession of Hinata. As the Inuzuka started to follow, Midori stood up as well.

"You can still watch the match if you want, Midori," Kiba said.

"That's okay," Midori said. "I'm worried about Hinata too." _I'm gonna keep an eye on Kabuto…it couldn't hurt, right?_

As Kabuto worked on restoring Hinata's health, he glanced at Midori from the corner of his eye. The girl seemed to be observing him as well. He smirked underneath his mask. _So…this is one of the girls who seem to be able to predict the future…her teammates are in this exam. This may be the perfect time to bring Orochimaru-sama a bonus gift…_

"All finished," Kabuto said.

Kiba's expression was relieved. "That's awesome. Thanks."

It was then that Akamaru started whimpering something in Kiba's ear from his shoulder.

"Huh? What's that?" Kiba said, confused. "We've seen him before?"

Kabuto flinched slightly.

"Kiba—!"

Kiba gasped as Kabuto's hand connected with his stomach, knocking the wind from his pipes. The boy fell to the ground, unconscious next to his teammate.

Midori dodged a blow from Kabuto just in time, avoiding his palm.

"Hmph," Kabuto said, straightening up. "Perhaps you_ can _see the future after all, hm?"

Midori narrowed her eyes. "I don't need to with that cheesy disguise you have."

"Then tell me, why didn't you inform your little friends about it?" Kabuto said, gesturing towards the fallen Kiba and Hinata.

When Midori didn't answer, Kabuto let out a small laugh. "Not too talkative, are you?" _I'm still unsure. Why didn't she tell them, indeed? _Kabuto decided he wanted to get a little more out of this naive girl. "Perhaps you know more than I think? Did you not tell them to disrupt some kind of destiny?"

Midori still didn't answer him. She kept her eyes on the disguised spy, however, especially his hands.

"Not gonna talk?" Kabuto grimaced. "Well then, I guess I'll just have to take you to the master!" He thrust his palm which was burning with chakra towards her.

Midori stepped back and dodged the attack, skipping a few feet away. "Careful there, _ANBU_-san. There are millions of people here watching the Chuunin Exam, including packs of elite Konoha ninja. Who's to say I won't announce your presence now?"

Kabuto smirked. _She isn't stupid. _"Well, well, if you were to do that, I just _might _have to blow the waiting area sky high." He pointed to the gallery where her teammates along with Shino, Shikamaru, and the Sand Siblings were.

Midori scowled. _I don't remember anything about a bomb in the waiting area. He might be bluffing…but…_ Midori straightened up, signaling that she wasn't about to take any sudden actions.

"That's what I thought," Kabuto said. "If I hear any little commotion, I'll hold you responsible and the genin youth of Konoha will suffer for your mistake." With that beign said, Kabuto disappeared.

Midori stood silently, fists shaking uncontrollably. _That guy…_ Her thoughts were interrupted by the outbreak of cheers. She turned her head and saw Naruto running around the battle arena. His fight was over.

"Second battle!" Genma announced, rotating his long toothpick between his teeth. "Shimizu Kyoko vs. Kawa Nami!"

_What?! Nami was supposed to fight Inazumaru! What happened to him? _Midori thought. _And since Kyoko was supposed to fight Dosu…Shikamaru was supposed to fight an extra battle against Kyoko! But now they're fighting _each other_? This is the worst possible match! _

"Begin!"

Nami and Kyoko both jumped backwards several feet and moved both their hands behind their backs, mirroring each other perfectly. Kyoko pulled out two fans with a red and sand design as she touched the ground. Nami had an orange fans were linked by a long chain. They were decorated with a red burst of fire on each.

Silence overcame the stadium.

Genma blinked.

"YOU COPIED ME!" the two screamed in unison, each pointing their right finger at the other.

About half the crowd sweat dropped. Midori, who had called one of the ANBU members on guard duty to take Hinata and Kiba to the infirmary (she claimed that she had found them like this), slapped her forehead. _They…think so much alike…_

"I so didn't copy you!" Nami shouted. "My fans are _so _much cooler than yours! _And _I have a chain!"

Kyoko was about to retort when she remembered what Midori had told her before the exams.

_**Flashback**_

"**_Don't let Nami drive you nuts," Midori said, holding up a finger wisely. "If you lose control of yourself, you won't be able to knock you out easily."_**

_**End Flashback**_

Kyoko took a deep breath and counted to ten in her head.

_Wow, that's strange, _Nami thought. Midori's words a few days ago flashed through her mind.

_**Flashback**_

"**_You know how temperamental she is," Midori said reasonably. "It could be an advantage if she were to lose control. You'd be able to knock her out easily."_**

_**End Flashback**_

Nami smirked. _It's just like her to keep the odds even. I thought it was weird when she gave _me _an advantage. _"Hey Kyoko."

Kyoko's eyes widened as Nami made a face at her. "One…two…three…four…"

"I'm Kyoko," Nami said in a fake voice. "And I _looooove _a bloodthirsty killer!"

"Five…six…seven…"

"He'll never return my feelings, of course!" Nami said with a girlish hand motion and a giggle. "But I'm too stupid to care anyway!"

"EIGHTNINETEN!" Kyoko screamed as she threw herself onto Nami and attempted to wring her neck.

Nami grabbed Kyoko's wrists and rolled over so she was on top, only to be pushed over back onto the bottom.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"

"Bloodthirsty killer?" Naruto said, confused. "Like who?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "You're an idiot."

"What'd you say?!"

"It's him, doofus," Shikamaru said, rolling his eyes and pointing out Gaara with his head.

Gaara glanced at the two from the corner of his eye then looked back down into the arena.

_I knew that girls was nuts, _Kankuro thought.

_If she's looking to win Gaara's heart, she's wasting her time, _Temari thought. _Heck, he's never even shown that he has a heart ever since…Yashamaru…_

Meanwhile in the audience, Midori was slamming her head against the wall.

"Are those two…fighting?" said the man next to her.

"Yeah right," his friend said. "But I guess _this _is how kunoichi fight."

"I bet the blond one's gonna win."

"No way. The black-haired one's gonna win. The blond's gonna get her eyes clawed out before she'd gain control over her."

"You got the money to back up that bet?"

"Sure do."

"Bring it on, old man!"

"It's a deal, older man!"

Midori sighed and looked back towards the arena to see that Nami had gotten free of Kyoko's wrath for a few seconds with only a few scratches and bruises here and there. Nami shook her head a few times in random directions and laughed. "This is gonna be fun."

_Nami's not taking this seriously at all because Kyoko's her opponent, _Midori thought. _And it's only been a few seconds into the match and Kyoko's already lost her temper. She's stronger in this state, I'll have to admit, but her accuracy isn't any good. At this rate, neither of them will win. _

Nami whipped out her fans and started twirling one around with the chain expertly.

"This isn't the circus, Nami!" Kyoko yelled. "What're you trying to do? Win the crowd's appeal?!"

Nami threw the closed fan she was holding, bringing the other fan that was twirling seconds ago into the air as well. Making several rapid hand signs she said, "Why don't you see for yourself? Firewind no Jutsu!"

"What?!" Kyoko gasped, stepping back on instinct.

Nami caught her fans and spun around, her arms outstretched. Sparks of fire ran with a gust of wind that was running towards Kyoko at a frightening speed.

Kyoko jumped to the side to avoid the attack only to get part of her sweater burned. Her eyes widened and she cautiously touched the burnt, gray fabric. She clenched her fist angrily. "NAMI! YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THAT! THIS IS MY FAVORITE SWEATER!"

"Oh, I'm _so _scared," Nami said mockingly.

Kyoko took her fans and swiped the air with them forcefully. "My turn! Piercing Wind no Jutsu!"

A current of air rushed towards Nami who noticed something peculiar about the wind. _Needles? _She had spotted several needles hidden within the air stream. "Sticking with your little needles, huh? I see. The wind creates a track for your needles to run on and makes them faster. That also makes them close to invisible. Nice try, but not good enough." She darted left before the needles could prick her body.

A small smirk appeared on Kyoko's face. "Speak for yourself, Nami." She waved her fans to her right. "You think you're so smart. But you overlooked _one _little detail!" The needles swerved to Kyoko's right which was Nami's left.

_Oh crap! _"You can control them?!" Nami exclaimed with shock. She jumped backwards to the right but Kyoko simply waved her fans towards her once more and the needles followed her path.

Nami tried to wave her own fans to create wind that would throw the needles off course, but it was in vain. She scowled. _What's with these needles? _

"You should know better!" Kyoko laughed. "Those needles are backed up with chakra! There's no way any regular wind could stop them! And I thought _you _were gonna be a challenge!" She stepped backwards and—

"NAAAA!" She fell right into the hole Naruto had dug earlier.

The audience sweat dropped.

Nami stopped in her tracks to laugh for a moment but then remembered she was being attacked by needles. She stepped to the side and the needles flew straight past her and pierced the wall. She smirked under her nose. _It_ _looks like she can't control them while she's…occupied. _

"Don't look at me like that!" Kyoko shouted, flushing red as she started climbing out of the hole. "I uh, _meant _to do that!"

"Yeah right," Nami snorted.

Kyoko growled and sent another wave of needles towards Nami with her fans.

"If you want a challenge," Nami continued, gripping her own fans more tightly. "I'll give you a challenge!" Nami swung the chain around both her arms, then made a few hand seals and waved her fans in front of her, creating a thin barrier. The silent needles bounced off the barrier and scattered into numerous directions. "Deflection no Jutsu!"

"Oh yeah?" Kyoko said, tightening her hold on her fans. "Well try this!" She stuck her hand into her back pouch and came out with a small, blue scroll. Biting her thumb, she slapped open the scroll and ran her thumb down the middle of the paper and shouted, "Dance of the Needles!" She twirled the scroll a few times to the side, closed it, and tossed it high into the air. Then she shot herself into the air, accelerating after the scroll with an extra burst of speed from the chakra in her feet. She flipped in midair so that she was upside-down and caught the scroll. Twirling the opened scroll from the bottom up, she started to fall towards the ground. Smoke appeared around Kyoko and out came a barrage of needles, aerodynamically zeroing in on their target, Kawa Nami.

Nami cursed under her breath. _I shouldn't have used Deflection no Jutsu so early! _The jutsu her sensei had taught her had its downs. It was like an ultimate defense, but it used up too much of her current amount of chakra, especially since she had taken the month to learn new jutsu and _not _too much on chakra control.

_What're you going to do now, Nami? _Midori thought. _Kyoko's got you cornered. _

"Your girl is mince meat!" laughed the man who had betted Kyoko would win. "Too bad! Looks like I just became a very rich man!"

The other man swore.

Nami ducked backwards and moved her fans, only managing to blow away a few needles. She started to dodge the needles, but they kept coming, and Kyoko was still in the air, controlling them.

Kyoko swung her fans up and the needles obeyed. She smiled when she noticed Nami's surprised look when the needles started to mold together to form the silhouette of a wolf. She touched the ground with a handstand, the scroll falling around her in folds. She flipped backwards and landed with one knee and one hand on the ground. Her shoulders heaved up and down heavily. It had taken days to perfect that attack.

As the needle-wolf pounced on Nami, Nami screamed in pain. She struggled out of the wolf's grasp and fiercely and shot a gust of wind, increasing the power with a bit of chakra. The wolf collapsed and Nami sighed wearily. She pulled out the needles that had stabbed her painfully. She smirked half-heartedly. _Hmph. She almost hit some fatal spots. Almost. _There was only one thing that kept her going, and that was she would _never _lose a battle to _Kyoko_.

"Tired yet, Nami?" Kyoko simpered.

"Not even," Nami said, making some hand signs. "I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve! Flame Coffin!"

_Flame Coffin?! _Kyoko thought. That didn't sound too pleasant. She suddenly felt the ground shaking as Nami slammed her hands onto to the ground. Not only her, but everyone in the stadium felt the pulsations.

"Father, what's happening?!" Hanabi asked Hiashi as she held onto the bottom of her seat.

"Activate your Byakugan, Hanabi," Hiashi said simply.

Hanabi obeyed and said, "Byakugan!" Staring down into the stadium her eyes widened. "Chakra…is running throughout the whole stadium!"

"Correct," Hiashi nodded. "She's running her chakra through the ground and targeting the other girl."

Hanabi, eyes wide, turned back to the battle.

Kyoko instinctively leapt into the air, and it was a good thing to because half a second later, a barrel of flames shot out of the ground.

Nami looked up for a moment and narrowed her eyes, pressing down on the ground harder. "You can't escape, Kyoko!"

Kyoko kept jumping into the air and landing back on the ground only to be forced to avoid the fire once more. While she was flying towards the ground for the umpteenth time, a smaller flame shot up towards her. Leaning to the left, she barely managed to dodge the flames while in midair. As she touched the ground, Nami smirked.

"Gotcha."

Kyoko's eyes widened as flames burst exploded around her. She covered her face with her arms and narrowed her eyes. The flames were ten feet high and the heat made Kyoko instantly sweat. Kyoko saw the outline of a figure a few feet away.

"Well, well, well," the man betting on Nami laughed. "Looks like it's _your _girl who's gonna get burnt to a crisp!"

"No way!"

Midori lowered her head. _It's almost over.

* * *

_

GASP. What NEXT? Just for fun, vote for either Kyoko or Nami to win! I have it ALL planned out, but why not have a little competition, shall we? And give a valid reason, please! More so, R&R! AGAIN! ALMOST TO 100! Ciao!

-HM


	24. Nami vs Kyoko: And the Result is

Okay, so after that breakdown with the e-mails that FF seemed to have, my Inbox was overflowing with about twenty-five e-mails from Fanfiction along with a bunch of other junk mail from my friends! Lucky, huh? Now I've gotta filter everything but whatever. In the words of Shikamaru, how troublesome. And other than this and I've been feeling like a female Hayate this week, my life hasn't been half bad! Testing's over and I'm back on track! (Not that you guys have probably noticed me being OFF track XD)

On a more important note, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE REVIEWS! And to the lucky 100th reviewer...CONGRATULATIONS! I was getting a bit worried I'd have to post this little chappie up before I reached 100 and then along came my old reviewer, Bloody Angel X, back when I was TeenTitansforever who kindly reviewed this story! Quite ironic if you ask me. Anyway, this story is far from over (at least, I figure it will be) and I'm hoping to hit 200! I will pursue this dream with the burning fire of YOUTH! YEAH!

Ahem. Okay. After long hours (coughexaggerationcough) of trying to make this chapter longer and longer without going too much into the next chapter and unneeded fillery stuff at the same time, I've completed a suitable (in my opinion) chapter! Hopefully. So enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. **_

* * *

_**

**_"Well, well, well," the man betting on Nami laughed. "Looks like it's your girl who's gonna get burnt to a crisp!"_**

**_"No way!"_**

**_Midori lowered her head. It's almost over.__

* * *

_**

"Like it?" Nami's voice came from behind the flames triumphantly. "It's my own little jutsu I made up, pretty cool, huh? I could've killed you on the spot if I wanted to, you know. But what fun would that be? Let's _savor _the moment I become chuunin and more importantly beat you…again."

Kyoko clenched her teeth angrily and lowered her had as sweat trickled down her face from the heat. _It can't be over. I've worked too hard for this!_

"Looks like Nami's gonna win," Naruto remarked. "It's too bad though. I kind of wanted that Kyoko girl to win…"

_I knew it was just a fluke that she was able to touch Gaara, _Temari thought with a smirk.

A drop of sweat ran down Genma's face. _Looks like I'm gonna have to stop the match…this girl has clearly—_

"And now…I'm gonna finish you!" Nami swung her chained fan into the fire, adding a thin layer of chakra as a shield so her fan wouldn't burn. "IT'S OVER!"

Genma was about to shout that the match was over when the flames resided and Kyoko stood there looking a little dazed with a small cut on her cheek.

Kyoko blinked and touched her face gingerly. She felt the warm blood rushing down her face.

Owie.

Nami stood there with a victorious grin as if she had taken down a whole army of enemies single-handedly.

Kyoko narrowed her eyes. "What are _you _so happy abou—"

Then, something strange happened.

Kyoko fell backwards onto her back and gasped, covering her stomach with her arms, her face completely red. She rolled onto her side and started…laughing?

"Kyaaaaaaaaahahahahahaha!" Kyoko squealed a she pounded the ground with her fist. "Oooooohhahaahahaha!"

Nami started examining her fingernails nonchalantly.

"What the—?!" Naruto shouted, gripping the rail tightly. "What the heck did she do?!"

"I don't know but it sure didn't win her the match," Shikamaru sighed.

_Why is that girl laughing? _Temari thought.

_What's so funny? _Kankuro thought. _That girl's stupid to start laughing now. _

Gaara gazed down into the arena with the same emotionless stare he always had.

Midori quickly went over to the wall and started banging her head into the hard concrete again. "That-i-di-ot!" she shouted each syllable with each slam of the head. "I-told-her-not-to-do-that! I-di-ot!"

"Not to do what?"

Midori jumped as she heard the voice. Whirling around and rubbing her sore forehead, she saw Neji standing there with a few scratches. "Neji! Are you all right?" she asked worriedly. "Shouldn't you be in the infirmary? You really shouldn't—"

"I'm fine," Neji said reassuringly. "It was just chakra depletion."

"Oh. Well, um, that's good. I'm glad you're okay," Midori said, feeling her cheeks flush.

"So am I."

Midori saw him glance over the crowded audience and followed his sight towards where Hiashi and Hanabi were sitting. She smiled softly.

"Your teammates are in their battle now. What were you saying before?"

"The attack that Nami just did…is a last resort I told her not to use," Midori said, lowering her head. "She's so stupid too. She obviously had Kyoko cornered and the match would've ended right then and there and she would've won. But now she's done _that _and I can't tell what'll happen next."

Neji's eyes tensed. "What is 'that'? A forbidden jutsu?"

Midori shook her head. "No, nothing at all like that. It's just…it's one of her own foolish prank inventions. Something really stupid, that's all."

"I…don't follow."

"Well, you see…" Midori started. "Nami's something of a…creative prankster sometimes. She likes creating jutsu that are so mindlessly imprudent that they couldn't possibly be taken seriously in battle. She figured out that some muscles in the face are…ticklish when they're touched with the smallest amount of chakra. So she got an idea. Just now, she sent chakra through her chain and into her fan then attacked Kyoko, skimming her face. I suppose she applied the right amount of chakra and pretty much went from there. She knows it works because…well, she experimented." As she said that, Midori unconsciously rubbed her cheek and remembrance entered her mind.

_**Flashback**_

"_**Ahahahahahahaha! Na-hahaha-mi!" Midori chortled, as she wrapped her arms around her stomach. "M-M-Make i-it sto-hahaha-op!" **_

_**Nami grinned sheepishly. "I uh, didn't figure that part out yet."**_

"_**You-hahaha-WHAT?!" Midori screamed.**_

"_**Aw, come on. You need to laugh more anyway," Nami shrugged.**_

_**Midori was about to pummel Nami. That is, she **_**could **_**if her vision wasn't so blurred, so she ended up flailing her arms around towards where she thought she saw Nami.**_

_**Nami was amused. "Can't see me, can you?" she laughed. "That give me an idea…"**_

_**End Flashback**_

Midori lowered her sight back at the battle. "Nami calls this move…"

Neji gazed back into the arena, eyes mildly wider than usual.

"A Thousand Years of Laughter."

Kyoko clutched her stomach as tears ran down her cheeks. "Hehehehe…why can't I stop—heheh—laughing?!" She shakily pulled out several needles between her fingers and tried to aim for Nami. However, the tears from the constant laughing blurred her vision and she seemed to see seventeen Nami.

"My new technique's why," Nami said, arms crossed. "At this rate, you'll laugh yourself to death. I know how to reverse it, so all you have to do is forfeit…that _and _pledge eternal loyalty to her majestic greatness, Sekaikage, Kawa Nami."

"Hahahaha! Don't make me—heehee—laugh!" Kyoko declared, pointing a finger at Nami. "I thought you wanted to—haha—fight me! There's no way I'd forfeit to you!"

Nami sighed, her arms still crossed. "But I'm _bored _with this fight."

"HAHAHAHAHAWHAT?!" Kyoko shouted angrily, whipping out more needles. "I'm gonna get you for that!" She wiped the running tears from her eyes and concentrated. Throwing the weapons towards the Nami who looked the realest to her, she…missed!

Nami tapped her foot.

"GR...heheheheheh," Kyoko giggled. "Fine! I'll just attack all of you then!" She pulled out tens of needles and tossed them in different directions.

Nami stepped to the side and yawned, making two of the needles miss her.

"Argh! Haha!" Kyoko growled, clenching her fists. She knew very well that there would be no way for her to beat Nami now, especially with this jutsu at work. She'd just have to find a way to incapacitate her, but how? Kyoko felt her body weakening every time she laughed. If she was going to do something, she'd have to do it soon.

Nami raised an eyebrow. _The heck does she think she's doing? She's just standing there…_ Suddenly, she saw Kyoko charge toward her in a seemingly half-drunken state while laughing manically. She dodged Kyoko's quick punch just in the nick of time and hopped back a few feet.

Kyoko snickered furiously as she staggered swiftly towards Nami with a series of punches and kicks that her opponent either blocked or dodged. Her attacks were getting weaker and weaker, Nami could tell.

_Why is she even trying? _Nami thought. _This is so pointless. _

"That girl can't hit Nami!" Naruto exclaimed. "She looks seriously drunk!"

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. "I'm not so sure."

"Wha?" Naruto said, confused. "How would she possibly be able to win, huh? The winner looks clear to me."

Suddenly, Kyoko landed a hit, surprising Nami who stumbled backwards. _What?! She can see where I am already?! _

Kyoko smirked under her nose and continued her chain of attacks while giggling periodically. _Yes! My eyes are working again! _

Nami scowled. _Well if her vision's clearing up, that means next comes unconsciousness! It's only a matter of time…_

_Time to finish this! _Kyoko thought as her vision suddenly sharpened again. She jumped into the air and spin-kicked Nami in the stomach. With one last laugh, Kyoko took out several needles and threw them, accelerating them with the last of her chakra. The senbon perfectly pinned Nami to the wall behind her, incapacitating the girl. Kyoko giggled triumphantly, a bright smile on her face. Then her smile faded as her eyelids drooped. She dropped to the ground backwards and unconscious.

Nami grimaced, struggling to break free of the needles. _Damn! The unconsciousness didn't come soon enough! _

Genma checked Kyoko then glanced up on Nami who was still fruitlessly trying to pull loosely without avail. He stood up and held his hand to the sky, announcing, "Both contestants are put out of action. It's a draw!"

"WHAT?!" Nami screamed. "I totally won! Kyoko's unconscious! You're a whack job! You—" She stopped abruptly when Genma stuck a kunai a centimeter from her throat. "This could happen if she had more people on her side. You wouldn't be able to move at all and they would kill you in a second." He placed the kunai back in his holster and said, "It's a draw. That's my final decision."

Nami frowned and several medic nin unpinned her with a bit of difficulty. The other medics were examining Kyoko.

"I'm fine," Nami told them with a bit of annoyance in her tone. Then, looking over at Kyoko she said, "And she'll be fine too, so don't bother. My attack wears off in a few minutes. Unfortunately, she'll be up and prattling soon enough."

"Her condition isn't fatal," one medic concluded. He took out a small bottle. "But it doesn't hurt to be careful. Here, take this. For you and the girl."

"Yeah, yeah," Nami said, accepting the healing salve. "Thanks. Take her back up to the upper gallery. She'd want to watch the rest of the matches."

The medics helped to carry Kyoko back to the upper gallery where the other contestants waited followed by Nami. Genma watched them for a moment. _Neither of them will become chuunin, that's for sure. Kawa Nami was too reckless and doesn't take battles as seriously as she should. Shimizu Kyoko's emotions get in the way of fighting to the best of her skill. No matter how good these two are…it just didn't go for them this year. Maybe next time…_

"How embarrassing," Shikamaru sighed as Nami walked over.

Nami whacked the poor boy upside the head. "Who's embarrassing?!"

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head irritably. "I _meant _the way the other girl lost."

The girl crossed her arms firmly and said, "Call it what ya want, because _that _is a S-Ranked jutsu right there!"

"For some reason, I highly doubt that."

"…"

"…"

"Don't you have a match to fight in or something?!"

Midori held her hand to her heart and sighed with relief. _It's finally over…_

"Neither of your teammates won," Neji remarked, looking at her with a hint of surprise.

"Well, I suppose they'll be fighting about who really won for quite some time…" Midori shrugged. "But they aren't being taken to the medical wing so that has to mean they're both okay. It doesn't really matter to me who won and who didn't. I'm just happy they didn't kill each other. And also…" Midori smiled slightly. "I'm happy to know that we'll all be promoted to chuunin come next exams."

"I see."

It was then Midori realized she was having a regular conversation with Neji. THE Hyuuga Neji, Hyuuga clan prodigy, dubbed respectively the Ice King by her two teammates was talking without an insult to _her_, Hikari Midori, the calm and quieter one of Team Twelve, the otherworldly kunoichi team. Confusion was written all over her face as she turned towards the Hyuuga boy and said, "Neji…why are you being so…um…"

"My battle with Naruto made me realize…" Neji interrupted, not looking at her directly. "That the way I acted towards other people…was not acceptable. You…and many other people who hadn't done a thing to me did not deserve the ways I treated people. I'm sorry."

Midori smiled sincerely, noticing a hint of light blush on his pale cheeks. _Naruto-kun…you're amazing. _

Meanwhile, Kyoko opened her eyes wearily. "Mm…huh…?"

"YEAH SHIK! YOU ROCK! KICK HER BUTT!" Nami squealed.

"Shik?" Naruto stared at Nami oddly.

Nami whistled innocently and ruffled Naruto's hair. "It's a big kid thing, Ototo."

"I'm the same age as you!"

"My match was over a long time ago…" Kyoko whispered quietly to herself. "So Nami won then…" She lowered her head in disappointment.

"Huh?" Nami turned around and saw Kyoko, awake. "Hey."

"Ow!" Kyoko exclaimed as a small bottle hit her arm. "What was _that _for?!"

"Baka. Can't even catch," Nami scoffed. "The medics said that you have to put it on your wounds. I already used it."

Kyoko frowned and stuck her finger in the salve. "Why aren't you bragging, huh?"

"_Because_, pinhead, I _didn't_ win according to toothpick guy over there," Nami said, crossing her arms.

"Huh?"

"Apparently if you had friends on your side, I would've been 'killed in a second' or something," Nami said, flexing her index and middle finger up and down to emphasize 'killed in a second'. "So tell me. How did my jutsu not affect your movement?"

"I dunno. It kind of…went away for a second and that's when I made my move."

"Should've known. Midori only said it was five seconds. I didn't think _you'd _be smart enough to be quick about it and attack."

"Hmph. Underestimating me was your first mistake."

"Don't try to act all cool, it's not like you _won_."

Kyoko grinned slyly. "But you didn't _win _either."

"I knocked you out, and that's victory enough for now," Nami said stubbornly. "If _I _had backup, _they _would've killed you too!"

Kyoko's grin faded. Then, a determined look replaced her previous expression. "Well, the next time we battle…_I'll _be the winner."

"Tch. You wish," Nami said. "You'll just _try _to keep up with _my _skills." She turned back toward the arena to watch Temari and Shikamaru's battle.

"That lazy bum," Naruto muttered. "GET YOUR BUTT OUT THERE, SHIKAMARU!"

_It's almost time for Gaara and Sasuke's battle, _Kyoko thought. _And that means…Orochimaru will make his move soon. _

As soon as Shikamaru's match ended with the lazy genin forfeiting, trash began to fly. Naruto jumped into the arena to 'lecture' Shikamaru and Nami and Kyoko looked at each other knowingly. Both girls knew what was going to happen next. They had to be ready for it.

* * *

Yay! It seems we have a little psychic reviewer among us! Midami Uchiha of the sand was right about the double KO! Heheh...funny. I just finished a report on ESP AND turned it in along with my stupid science project XD Now I can rest assured for the weekend! Um...that is...after homework...(sweat drop) And once I get rid of all these e-mails! (whips out stick) BACK, JUNK MAIL! BACK!

Nami's awfully happy with all her supporters, by the way. Kyoko...doesn't really care, it seems, which is probably a good thing.

Oh, and be prepared for another big skip to more important things. Although I'm pretty sure no one's gonna be mad about skipping Shikamaru and Temari's match and...Gaara and Sasuke's match, it doesn't hurt to give a heads up, right? So just so no one's confused about the time period of the next chapter, it'll be right at the attack on Konoha! Woohoo!

Konohanians: GLARE

Um...I mean...oh no. (hides and waves a GO KONOHA flag) Go Konoha! Boo Oto!

Until next week!

-HM


	25. To Protect a Village

Ugh, what a week! Apparently my friends thought it would be funny to buy me this little bag of candy for something at my school called "Crush Week" and also buy something for a guy that they think "likes" me while I "like" him. Of course, _I _didn't think they'd be so devious as to do that. Guess I overestimate them. XD Oh well! Free candy!

Anyway, like I said before, I'll skip Shikamaru's battle and Sasuke's battle just for the sake of...me being too lazy. Everyone here knows what happens anyway, so there's no reason to abuse Kishimoto-sama's storyline. (grin) Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

_Kai! _Midori thought as she clapped her hands together in a hand seal. The feathers floating around her suddenly were repelled to the sides. She quickly tapped Neji's shoulder as he staggered forward sleepily. The Hyuuga genius blinked as he regained his straight posture and said, "What's happening here?"

"It seems we're under attack," Midori said gravely as she turned her head just in time to see Kakashi and Gai confront Kabuto.

Neji activated his Byakugan and quickly scanned the area. "Not just the exams. Konoha is being attacked by sand and sound ninja." He narrowed his eyes as he pieced the puzzle together. "They've betrayed us." He turned to Midori. "We must leave this area. The gate entrance is in more trouble than the stadium."

Midori stared towards the upper gallery where her teammates had recently been. They seemed to have disappeared along with the other participants. "Can you fight, though?"

"Of course. I might have used up much energy during my battle, but I feel my chakra rising slowly, but surely."

"All right. Let's go."

---

Nami and Kyoko flew threw the trees, following from a distance away from Gaara.

"How do we know where we're going?" Nami questioned as she shot off a tree branch.

"I know Gaara's chakra anywhere," Kyoko said, eyes forward. "Call it an instinct."

Nami sweat dropped. _You added that to your ninja info card. I saw it. _

"And what do you plan on doing once you catch up to him, fan girl?"

"…"

"…"

"…You don't know what you're gonna do, are you?"

"Hey, I'm looking at the big picture right now, not details!"

"So much for the observant, detailed Kyoko."

"Shut up! Why are _you _coming _anyway_?!" Kyoko demanded irately.

"_Because _Naruto's gonna be there and it's _my _job as his older sister to protect him!"

"Oh brother," Kyoko rolled her eyes. "And what makes you his older sister, huh? He doesn't even call you 'neesan' or 'neechan'!"

"He'll get to it," Nami shrugged.

Kyoko rolled her eyes once more. "You're delusional."

"Speak for yourself. At least I _have _a real reason to come. Gaara's _not _gonna return your feelings the way he's going."

_You're wrong, _Kyoko thought. _Gaara just feels alone right now. No one's ever cared about him. No one's even acknowledged that he's a human. But if I get a hold of him and talk to him, he'll finally understand. He'll know what love really is. _

Nami, surprised that Kyoko wasn't attempting to back-talk her, turned her attention to the suddenly quiet girl. _Hm…what's with her today? Why does she seem so different?_

---

"Hm?"

"What is it, Pakkun?" Sakura asked. "Is it Sasuke-kun?"

Pakkun shook his head. "It's strange. I can smell Sasuke, all right, but a bit behind him are…two others, I think. No wait. Three others. Yes. One in front of the two seems a bit strange…and the two following him…They smell of healing salve and dry blood."

"Healing salve?" Naruto repeated, remembering the bottle that Nami had gotten. She had also given it to Kyoko too. He shook his head. _No…couldn't be. What would _they _be doing following those sand guys? _

"We're being followed."

---

"Juuken!" Neji called as he slammed an open palm into the stomach of a sound ninja. He whirled around and kicked another ninja unsuspectingly off the roof and continued running towards the main gate.

_Hikari Suishou! _Midori thought as the crystal hanging from her neck began glowing brightly. With a short battle cry, she knocked her leg into an enemy, forcing him into another ninja. Both crashed onto a different roof from the strength of the chakra-filled blow. Midori touched the tiles of the roof gracefully and followed closely behind Neji.

Once the two got closer to the gate, they're eyes widened as several large snakes with odd characterizations slithering through the village. A few groups of Konoha nin were attacking the snakes, but they're attempts were futile, not to mention the traitorous nin attacking them while they tried to hold back the reptiles.

"Snakes…" Neji muttered, narrowing his eyes. "At this rate…Konoha will be destroyed. They must not pass."

Midori started running in the opposite direction, climbing the roofs higher and higher.

"What are you doing?!" Neji called.

"I have to try to stop them from getting further into the village!" Midori shouted.

"You can't do it alone!"

"I will!"

"How?!"

"Just trust me!" She jumped onto the water tower, one of the highest places in the village and conducted several hand seals. _Please work…_ "Force Field!" she yelled, holding both her hands out in front of her. Her index fingers and thumbs were touching, creating a triangle. Bright chakra-infused light shot from her hands and grew bigger in size, creating a barrier in front of the snakes.

The upcoming snake seemed to take no notice of the shield and kept moving. However, he was stopped once he crashed into the transparent force field. After a few moments, the snake hissed and threw itself against the barrier angrily.

Midori narrowed her eyes with concentration. "You won't be getting any farther!"

A sand ninja frowned in frustration as he attempted to get past the shield as well. "Damn that girl!"

Neji stroke the sand ninja with a loud "Juuken!" and he went tumbling down from his perch, unconscious. Neji straightened his stance and looked up at Midori with a hint of awe.

"Go ahead, Neji!" Midori called down to the Hyuuga. "Help the others defeat the Sand and Sound!"

Neji nodded and turned his back. His expression was filled with determination and confidence. _Just hold the barrier up for as long as you can, Midori. I'll come back as soon as I finish. I promise._

With that last thought, he shot off.

---

"Look, Kyoko! Over there!" Nami called, gesturing in front of her.

Kyoko followed Nami's finger and her eyes widened. "It's Kankuro and Shino!"

The two girls quickly landed beside Shino who was standing on a branch. Shino glanced over at the two and it was hard for Kankuro not to notice them as well.

"Great. _More _brats," Kankuro groaned, readying Karasu. "This might take longer than I thought."

"Big talk for someone with _kitty ears_!" Nami shouted, pointing a finger at Kankuro's head.

Kankuro's eyes rolled upwards as if to check his headgear for anything unusual. Then, he locked eyes with Nami. "You little…they're _not _cat ears!"

"Of course not! I said '_kitty' _ears! Are you hard of hearing too?!"

"Nami…" Kyoko sweat dropped. "I don't think this 'smack talk' is necessary…"

"I resent that!"

"Shimizu Kyoko. Kawa Nami."

The two girls instinctively looked towards the person who had addressed them.

"You are here to assist Uchiha Sasuke, correct?"

The girls exchanged quick glances.

"Yeah huh," Kyoko nodded before Nami could say anything.

"Then follow him. He proceeded in that direction a while ago." Shino pointed in a direction and continued, "You may be able to catch up to him. I will come soon afterwards."

The girls nodded and blasted off the branch.

"Oh no you don't!" Kankuro yelled, yanking his arms left.

Shino swiftly countered Karasu with several well-thrown projectiles and said, "_I'm _your opponent, remember?"

Kankuro scowled as the girls speedily moved out of sight. _More got away! Temari's gonna be mad…I'd better finish this weirdo off quickly!_

"Do you think Shino will make it out okay?" Kyoko asked Nami.

"Of course, stupid!" Nami exclaimed, staring at Kyoko oddly. "Don't you remember?"

"Remember…?" Then it all came back to Kyoko. "Oh yeah! He gets poisoned and then his dad saves him!"

Nami rolled her eyes. "No duh."

Kyoko grinned sheepishly, showing her teeth. _How could I _not _remember that? How strange…maybe I'm just brain dead because of the pressure of this whole situation…yeah, that's gotta be it. _

_Kyoko's so weird, _Nami thought.

---

Wrinkles formed upon Midori's forehead as she focused her energy into the barrier. Sweat ran down her face and her breath was becoming heavy. Her features became tight and her body was strained. This was the price to pay for the village's safety, for the snakes had yet to break through the shield guarding the bigger part of the village.

_I can't let this down, even for a second, _Midori thought. _I need to protect this village. Or it may end up…like home…_

_**Flashback**_

_**A six-year old Midori gasped in horror as the heat of flames engulfed her. She tried to scream and yet no sound escaped her mouth. Squeezing her eyes shut tightly, she prayed to live. Suddenly, two strong arms surrounded her and she dared to open one eye. "T…Tousan!"**_

"_**Don't worry, Midori," her father said with a comforting smile, despite the burns on his body. "We'll get you out of here!"**_

_**Midori fearfully looked from her father to her mother. "W-W-What happened?" Tears ran down her cheeks and she sniffed**_

_**It was then a loud blast was heard and several ninja appeared within the fire, armed and ready with the intent to kill.**_

"_**No time to explain," her mother said seriously, getting into a battle position as sweat ran down her face. "Get her out of here, now!"**_

"_**Right! Teleportation no Jutsu!" her father called as he completed a chain of hand signs.**_

"_**No, wai—!" Light swallowed her small body and in an instant she was at the bottom of the hill just outside her village. She stumbled up the hill, breathing hard and looked over the top. Her eyes widened in horror and a new round of tears stung her eyes. Clutching one hand to her chest, she whispered, "Dokutsugakure…I couldn't do anything to save it…" **_

_**End Flashback**_

Midori narrowed her eyes and clenched her teeth. _I won't let another village down! No, never again! _

---

Neji had been stopped several times by Sand and Sound shinobi but he wasn't about to let _them _intervene. He took out as many as he could which was a heck of a lot of ninja. However, his chakra had decreased quickly since he hadn't let his body fully recover before he went rushing out into action again. Cursing under his breath, he impacted his palm into another enemy ninja. _There are too many ninja attacking! I won't be able to help seal the source in time! _

A glance back to the huge barrier protecting more than half of Konoha was more than enough to keep his determination up. It was then that he felt the presence of shinobi circling him.

"What a troublesome boy you are," one with a mask hissed. "How about we slice a few of your arms and legs off with your sound waves?"

Neji scowled. He counted nine ninja; way too many for him to take down with simple taijutsu. Not only that but..._I don't have enough chakra to use Kaiten._

Three of the nine ninja charged straight at him, weapons and fists forward. He dodged two of them, however the third one was able to land a hit. Once he had connected his fist with Neji's stomach, Neji flew back several feet, straight into another ninja's traveling leg. The kick sent Neji off the roof and falling towards the ground. Neji automatically landed on one knee as to not get very injured. Unfortunately, the nine opponents surrounded him once more.

"What're you gonna do now, huh?"

"Neji, get out of the way!"

Recognizing the voice, Neji jumped some feet out of the circle, lengthening his distance with as little chakra as he could possibly muster. A figure fell in his place in the middle of the otonin.

"Kaiten!"

Sounds of the screaming intruders followed the heavy crashes they made in the random shops in the village.

"Hiashi-sama," Neji said.

"You're at your limit, Neji," Hiashi said, turning towards his nephew. "Leave the rest to me and the others."

Neji was about to object when he suddenly felt the fatigue of his own worn body. Nodding, he decided not to disagree with his uncle.

"Now go rest. It'll all be over soon." Hiashi disappeared before he heard Neji's answer.

"No, Hiashi-sama. I have other important things to take care of."

---

_This isn't good, _Sasuke thought. _I've used Chidori too many times now…I'll have to use the cursed seal…_ Black designs started to appear on his skin as he stared coldly at the half-transformed Gaara.

Suddenly, he noticed two figures coming towards the battle. Glancing at them, his eyes widened. "What are you two doing?! Get out of here!"

Gaara saw an opening immediately and shot off, ramming into Sasuke.

Sasuke spat out blood as he was knocked against a tree. Slumping against the trunk and falling forward, he gritted his teeth.

If either of the two girls had a smidge of concern for Sasuke at all they would've rushed over to see if he was okay. Of course, that wasn't how their minds worked.

"Omigosh! It's Gaara!" Kyoko shouted, her eyes wide.

"And look at him. The years have not been kind," Nami said with disgust. "I mean…minutes."

Temari stared over at the two girls who had recently arrived in puzzlement. _Are these two for real? Can't they see the murderous state Gaara's in? Why don't they just run? They obviously aren't about to help the Uchiha boy!_

Gaara looked over at the two girls and growled, "You two. I'll deal with you later!" He leapt towards Sasuke when suddenly he felt an impact push him back. Landing back on a branch a few ways away, he saw a familiar blond boy standing on a branch not far from Sasuke.

"Gaara…" Kyoko whispered.

"Ototo!" Nami exclaimed.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shouted.

"What's going on here?" Naruto questioned, looking around from Gaara to Temari to Kyoko and Nami and finally to Sasuke. "Why are you guys here? And what he heck's that thing?"

"That's Gaara!" Kyoko explained.

"G…Gaara?" Naruto stared hard at the creature and recognized the features of the mysterious sand nin. "H…How?"

"Out of my way!" Gaara hollered viciously. "I want Uchiha Sasuke! I want to kill him!" He pushed Naruto to the side and lunged towards the helpless Sasuke.

Without a moment to spare, Sakura threw herself in front of Sasuke, kunai in hand, surprising Gaara. Immediately, the jinchuuriki thrust a heavy arm aimed at the kunoichi, throwing her to the side and slamming her into a tree branch. The extended sand arm tightened its hold on Sakura, making her gasp in pain.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto cried.

"You want to save the woman? Well then, fight me, Uzumaki Naruto!"

Naruto clenched his fist as he looked over at Sakura again. She seemed to lose consciousness and Gaara had detached his transformed arm from her, leaving sand to hold onto the kunoichi. "The sand will soon destroy her. If you don't hurry, she'll be dead."

"You…" Naruto growled, his fists shaking. "I'll kill you!"

---

_I can't…hold the barrier up anymore…_Midori thought forcibly. _My chakra…no…I can't…_ Midori's body gave out and her arms fell to her sides. As she lost the ability to stand, she went tumbling down off the water tower towards the ground, so did the transparent barrier.

_I'm sorry…_

The snakes and intruders were finally able to pass through the village, plundering through as they proceeded with their orders.

_Konoha…Kyoko and Nami…Marieke-sensei…Neji…_

Midori felt her mind succumbing to her own lethargy and her train of thought seemed to go blank as she closed her eyes. Several cuts appeared as enemies passing by lashed at her powerless body for sheer pleasure. She felt as if she were falling on slow motion, yielding to the pain of the wounds as she fell when she suddenly stopped and moved to the right. Confused, she dared to slowly open her eyes to find herself staring straight into Neji's concerned face. Realizing that he had caught her before she fell and she was now in his arms, she immediately felt her cheeks heating up and she averted her eyes and frowned sadly.

"Are you all right?" Neji asked.

"…Yeah. But…I wasn't able to hold them off," Midori said softly. "I'm sorry."

Neji looked at her for a second and said, "It doesn't matter."

Midori turned her attention back at him questioningly.

"See? You stalled them long enough that more reinforcements were able to arrive," Neji pointed out. "You did well."

Midori smiled diffidently.

"But it isn't over yet," Neji said, staring off into the distance. "Konoha is still under attack. However, both of us are low on chakra. We need to find a safer place to rejuvenate."

Midori nodded. "I think the arena would be deserted of enemies by now." She started to stand herself when a throb shot through her stomach. Grimacing in pain, she lowered herself to the ground again. Her hand felt warm liquid and she gasped quietly.

Neji narrowed his eyes. "Those disgraceful—"

"Neji, its okay," Midori interrupted quickly, though regretted it later as another wave of pain reminded her of the how terrible the injuries were.

Neji impulsively supported her, then, to Midori's surprise, hoisted her on his back. "We'll go to the infirmary. No matter what, there are always medic nin around, even during an attack."

Midori, her face tainted with a light blush, closed her eyes and held onto Neji's shoulders as he started moving. _Neji…thank you.

* * *

Okay, so Kyoko's memory lapse will be explained in later chapters. Yes, I didn't just put it there to fill up extra space. It has a reason. There's obviously more background to the flashback, but again, that'll be explained in further chapters. Anyway, I hope you all liked the chapter! I sure did. XD R&R please!_

-HM


	26. Stay With Us

Car drives are such a drag...I'm very very tired and at my cousin's house, but hey, I updated on Friday like I always do! Just a little later...XD Thanks for the reviews everyone! I love you all!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

"This is ludicrous," Kakashi said as he became back-to-back with Gai. "There are more coming."

"Hey, it's good exercise, Kakashi!" Gai said, kicking a man aside. "Don't tell me you're tired already!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes as he took out several others.

Suddenly, a mass of at least twenty ninja appeared at once, circling the two jounin deviously.

"Looks like we're surrounded, my eternal rival!" Gai remarked. "What're we gonna do now?"

Before Kakashi could answer, something rammed through more than half of the enemies. As the silver-haired jounin looked closer, he realized it was an average-sized ferret. "Ah. So you've finally showed up, Marieke."

Marieke came quickly after the ferret and said, "Sorry, I'm late. I was 'lost down the road of life'."

"Hmph," Kakashi smirked under his mask. "Aren't we all?"

---

"Naruto's not doing so hot out there," Nami said worriedly as she stared up at the two large demons taking up more than half the entire space the forest had to offer a distance away. "But we can't do anything to help at all! This sucks!"

"I know what I can do…" Kyoko said seriously.

"What?"

"I can help Naruto wake Gaara up."

"…How?" A tint of curiosity showcased in Nami's voice.

"I'll just get to Gaara and…"

"And?"

"Kiss him."

WHACK!

"OW! What was _that _for?!"

"Get real, Kyoko!" Nami said, annoyed that she had gotten worked up over nothing.

WHACK!

The girls averted their attention back to Naruto who had suddenly given Gaara a clean punch, thus waking him up.

"Aw…my plan…"

"Shut up. All right, you did it, Ototo!" Nami cheered, punching the air with her fist. She and Kyoko took off in the direction where they saw Naruto and Gaara drop after they collided with each other. The girls found the two jinchuuriki lying on the ground a few feet from each other. Naruto was attempting to get to Gaara determinedly with his chin dragging his whole body alone while Gaara was vulnerable.

"D-Don't come any closer!" Gaara commanded shakily.

"The pain of being alone...it's not an easy one to bear...Your feeling...why is it...That I can understand your pain?" Naruto said quietly.

Gaara's eyes widened.

"But...I already have many people who are important to me now. I won't let you hurt those people important to me..." Tears streaked Naruto's face as he moved surprisingly faster. "Even if you try to kill them…I _will _stop you." He glared at the sand genin hatefully.

"Why?" Gaara whispered. "Why do you go so far for other peoples' sake?!"

"They saved me from the hell of being alone...they acknowledged my existence...That's why they're all important to me."

"Love…" _That's why he's so strong._

"Gaara!"

"Ototo!"

The girls started running toward them. Nami kneeled down and said, "You okay, Ototo?"

Naruto sighed as he gave up on both protesting about being called Nami's 'little brother' and trying moving with his beaten body. "…Yeah…neechan."

Nami smiled softly.

Sasuke landed momentarily next to Nami and looked down at Naruto. "That's enough, Naruto…Sakura's fine now." He looked toward Gaara and said, "This guy is most likely out of chakra...the sand holding Sakura has completely collapsed."

"I see," Naruto muttered.

"Gaara…are you okay?" Kyoko asked, dropping to her knees and daringly putting a hand on his chest.

"Why do you care?" Gaara said, though his voice didn't seem as cold as he usually would've said it.

Kyoko lowered her sight and was silent for a moment. "Because…well…" her face flushed crimson. "I…You…um…" Then, Kyoko's expression softened as she realized what she truly wanted to tell him."Gaara…you—"

"Gaara!"

Kyoko almost fell over when she heard the voices of Gaara's siblings. Temari and Kankuro dropped down in front of Gaara.

"What's going on?!" Kankuro demanded as he glared at Kyoko. "What are you doing?!"

"And _why _do you keep showing up everywhere we turn?!" Temari added. _It's really creepy…_

"W-Wha?!" Kyoko stuttered.

"Temari. Kankuro. That's enough…it's over."

The two siblings whirled around in surprise at their little brother's sudden statement.

Kankuro silently nodded and put Gaara's arm around his shoulder so he could support him. As they started to leave, Kyoko shouted, "Wait!"

The three turned around, a bit irritable but curious.

"What is it?" Temari asked.

"You…You guys can stay with us if you want!" Kyoko said with more volume than she had meant.

Nami slapped her forehead. _That idiot! _

_This girl…is on something, _Kankuro thought with a sweat drop.

_What's with her? _Temari thought.

After a few seconds passed, the Suna team turned and disappeared.

Nami snuck over to Kyoko and grinned sardonically with her arms linked behind her back. "So…you just made a complete fool of yourself in front of your beloved Gaara…and how does that make you _feel_?"

Kyoko angrily turned to her teammate. "Like killing someone with the initials K and N."

Nami inched away from the angry Kyoko chanting in a whispery voice, "_Gaara and Kyoko, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G._"

Kyoko crossed her arms and pointed her nose in the air as if she didn't care for the little elementary school rhyme.

"Poor, poor Gaara." Nami added to herself.

Kyoko shot her fist at Nami who quickly dodged. "NAMI!"

Sasuke sweat dropped as he watched this scene. _These girls are completely _

_One day I will also know it, _Gaara thought. _…Love…_

---Later that Night---

Midori yawned tiredly from her room. She had stayed up late to study a bit more on medical ninjutsu when she heard a knock on the apartment door. Sleepy and curious, she trudged to the door. _Who would be visiting us this late? Heck, who would be visiting us _ever

She opened the door and screamed.

Kyoko and Nami seemed to hear since they immediately shot out of their rooms, weapons in hand. Well…actually…Kyoko had a teddy bear and Nami had her pillow but that was beside the point.

"What is it, Midori?!" Nami demanded as she and Kyoko came at Midori's side.

"I didn't take you to be the loud type," said a female voice.

"Eh? Temari?" Kyoko recognized the sand kunoichi immediately. She looked over at her friend who was patting her chest rapidly and breathing sighs of relief.

"Oh…forgive me," Midori said nervously. "I thought you were…someone else."

_That's the last time I take Midori to a scary movie, _Nami thought. She looked in the doorway to notice that not only Temari was there but Kankuro was there as well. Gaara stood in front of the two and it was raining outside. Temari had her fan held high above all of their heads though they were still slightly wet. A lightning bolt flashed and Nami could see why she had been so freaked out.

"You guys are all wet!" Kyoko exclaimed as she stood aside, gesturing for her teammates to do the same. "Come in!"

Midori had gotten them towels and they all sat in the living room, the sand siblings taking the couch and Nami claiming the only other chair, leaving Midori and Kyoko to stand.

"I resent that," Midori mumbled to Nami as she leaned against the chair's arm.

Nami made the victory sign.

"So what are you guys doing here?" Kyoko asked.

"You offered to have us stay, right?" Kankuro said. He glanced at Gaara with an annoyed expression. _Apparently Gaara's dumb enough to take that seriously._

The thought processed for a second and then Kyoko's expression brightened. "Oh yeah! You guys wanna take me up on that offer?"

"Hold on," Midori said with disbelief. "_You _offered them to _stay_?" She turned towards the siblings and bowed speedily. "Meaning no disrespect, but Kyoko doesn't usually think too much about what she says sometimes and—"

"HEY!"

"—we really don't have enough room for so many people," Midori finished. "I'm sorry."

"She said we were allowed to stay," Gaara said, pointing to Kyoko.

"Yes but—"

"It's three days from here to Suna."

"But—"

"Baki has already left."

Midori didn't really want to argue with Gaara anymore since he kind of scared her a little bit so she just said, "…Okay…"

"Thank you."

Midori was a bit confused about Gaara's thanks but just smiled nervously and said, "No problem. So um…who wants to stay in what room?"

Kyoko was about to say something when Temari said, "We can just take this living room."

"Are you sure?" Midori asked.

"Yeah," Temari nodded. "We don't want to be burdens."

"All right then."

Nami yawned. "Well, it's really late now. I think I'll hit the hay…again. 'Night everyone."

Once she left, Midori said, "How long are you all planning on staying?"

Kankuro and Temari shrugged, though Kankuro leaned toward her and whispered, "Probably as long as Gaara wants. It was his idea."

Midori nodded in understanding. "I think I'll go to sleep too. If any of you three need anything, then just call, okay?"

Now Kyoko was the only one left. She looked towards the three and asked the question that had been on her mind. "Why did you guys choose to come here anyway?"

"We simply needed a place to stay," Temari shrugged. _And Gaara wanted to._

"There is no reason to rush back to Suna so quickly," Gaara said without emotion.

"Oh well, I'm glad you decided to stay," Kyoko smiled genially. "Well, g'night." She walked away.

"Kankuro, get off the couch," Temari commanded.

"WHY?" Kankuro said in disbelief.

"I want to sleep."

"Where am _I _gonna sleep?"

"On the floor."

"What?!"

"Be a man."

Kankuro grumbled something then moved to the floor as Gaara claimed the armchair.

As night drew on, Gaara sat with his arms crossed, thinking things over. _We will stay here for the time being for a few days. That way I will be able to analyze this Uzumaki Naruto and the way he lives. After going through the same process as I, he still ended up happy. And love…I want to know where I can find it and how. And also… _He looked towards the short hallway where the girls' rooms were. _Why that Kyoko girl seems to unconditionally care so much…for me. _

---

The day was grim as ninja and civilians trailed towards one place and one place only. This place had a sizeable coffin and a white-clothed table in front of it. On that table was a picture of the beloved Sandaime.

As people started to show up, so did their expressions. No one was happy, and several were crying.

The three kunoichi of Team 12 were standing behind Naruto and his team with gloomy faces. When it was their turn to pay their respects with a white rose representing eternal love, they each had mixed feelings.

Kyoko placed her rose in the vast pile of roses and bowed. _Jiisan…_

_**Flashback**_

_**Kyoko groaned in despair as she frantically searched through her wallet. "Aw man! Where's my money?"**_

"_**No money, Kyoko-kun?" Teuchi said with a frown. "I can't afford for you to get off with another free bowl…that'd be three this week! You're gonna have to pay it off again."**_

"_**I know, I know," Kyoko said sadly as she held her hand out. "Bring on the apron…"**_

_**Then something was placed in her hand. However, it wasn't an apron.**_

"_**This should suffice, right, Kyoko?" **_

_**Kyoko stared at the money then at the person who had generously given it to her. "Hokage-jiisan!"**_

"_**Oh, Hokage-sama! How generous of you," Teuchi said, taking the money from Kyoko's hand.**_

_**The Sandaime smiled good-naturedly and turned to Kyoko. "We can't have you paying off debt when there's so much time you could spend doing something else, right, Kyoko?"**_

_**Kyoko smiled and nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes!"**_

"_**Tell me, Kyoko. Do you think you'll be able to get stronger?"**_

"_**Of course! No question!" Kyoko said confidently. "I'll train as hard as I can so I can become a great kunoichi! And…Nami's not going to beat me." She added the last part in a quieter tone. **_

"_**Well, then you'd better get to it or Nami will surpass you," the Hokage joked.**_

"_**That's not gonna happen," Kyoko crossed her arms stubbornly. Then she smiled and started to run off. Waving behind her, she called, "Thanks again, Hokage-jiisan!"**_

_**End Flashback**_

Kyoko lowered her head and left the table. _Hokage-jiisan…I'll be strong for not only myself…but for you too. Your death won't be in vain._

After Kyoko left, Midori placed her rose in the mass as well and bowed for quite some time. Midori felt her eyes burning with the desire to set free her tears as she remembered the great Sandaime Hokage.

_**Flashback**_

**Why am I always the one who has to cook and get food? **_**Midori thought as she walked blindly with several paper bags piled in her hands. A few plastic bags hung on her arms and one was strung around her neck. **_**Kyoko and Nami need to learn how to spend their mission money more wisely. That or…they're too stingy and want me to spend money instead. **_**As she pondered whether or not her friends were piggy-backing off of her too much or not, she noticed Neji passing by. Almost dropping everything she had bought, she stopped to watch him for a moment and then continued once he was out of sight. (A/N: This is before Neji has his revelation)**_

_**Midori sighed. **_**At this rate…I don't think Neji will ever notice me. **_**Of course, she couldn't blame him for that. She pretty much tried to keep a low profile on…well, almost everything. **_

"_**I see you have your eyes on that Hyuuga boy, hm?"**_

_**Midori jumped and one of her bags toppled towards the ground. "Naaaa!"**_

"_**Oops, carefully there."**_

_**The Hokage had caught the bag expertly and took some of Midori's other bags. "Why don't I help you there?"**_

"_**D-Domo Arigato, Hokage-sama!" Midori said, attempting to bow sheepishly.**_

"_**I believe his name is Hyuuga Neji."**_

_**It took about two seconds before Midori realized what he was talking about. She lowered her head as they walked and said, "H-Hai."**_

_**The Hokage smiled kindly. **_

_**Midori couldn't really tell what he was thinking, but for some reason she blushed. She loathed that the Hokage had taken most of her bags so she couldn't hide behind the former stack. "I don't think he likes me very much." **_**What possessed me to say something like THIS? **_**Midori thought, mentally kicking herself. **_

"_**When you get to my age, you realize the most important things in life are love and friendship. Just give him a chance to warm up to you."**_

"_**Are you…sure?" That "give him a chance to warm up to you" thing seemed awfully fairy-tale to Midori.**_

"_**Take it from someone who's been there."**_

_**Midori giggled at the thought of the Hokage to be a ladies' man. Of course, Konohamaru existed so obviously he had had a daughter or son along with a wife. "Hokage-sama…what was your wife like?" She didn't know why she had asked that and was about to dub it a stupid question that would probably put the Hokage in a glum mood when he spoke.**_

"_**My wife, hm?" The Hokage stared at the sky thoughtfully. "She was as beautiful as she was strong and strong as she was kind. She was a bit stubborn, however, but loyal. Yes…it was her willful ways that caused her honorable death. She died when she helped protect the village alongside the Yondaime against the Kyuubi years ago." **_

"_**Oh…I'm sorry."**_

"_**Why?" the Hokage smiled. "Her memory is enough to keep a smile on my face. Thank you, Midori."**_

_**End Flashback**_

Tears rolled down Midori's cheeks and yet she tried to smile. _Hokage-sama. I promise to remember you with a smile on my face. _

Last but not least was Nami. She set her rose down with a straight face and bowed.

_**Flashback**_

_**Nami rolled her eyes as Iruka scolded her. Everything he said seemed to go through one ear and out the other.**_

"_**Nami, are you listening?!" Iruka shouted.**_

"_**Yes, Iruka-sensei," Nami lied.**_

"_**I know you're lying!" **_

_**Nami smiled sweetly and innocently. Actually, it was pretty hard to smile since Iruka was dressed in honey and yellow feathers.**_

"_**Iruka, what is the meaning of this yelling?" **_

"_**Jiican!" Nami looking towards the doorway and waving, "Can ya help me out here?"**_

_**The Hokage took one look at Iruka and started laughing behind his hand. "Ah…Iruka…what…happened?" he choked.**_

_**Iruka stared at the Hokage in disbelief. "Nami thought it would be funny to make a chicken out of me." **_

"_**Okay, there are two things wrong with your statement, sensei," Nami protested. "First of all I didn't know **_**you **_**would be the one to open the door and second of all you're supposed to be a **_**duck **_**not chicken. Chickens are overused. See the yellow—"**_

"_**Whatever type of bird you wanted me to be, it's still a childish and stupid prank!" Iruka exploded. "And for that you can clean the whole academy, top to bottom!"**_

"_**Come now, Iruka," the Hokage said, amused. "She's just enjoying her youth. Let her off with a warning, I'm sure this was the first time."**_

"_**Not counting the paintball incident…" Iruka mumbled.**_

"_**I'm innocent until proven guilty!" Nami declared.**_

"_**All right," Iruka sighed. "You're lucky, Nami. If this happens again…"**_

"_**Aw, don't worry, Iruka-sensei!" Nami said, making for the door. "I won't play this prank **_**ever **_**again!" **_**Of course, that doesn't stop me from playing any **_**other **_**pranks, **_**Nami thought deviously. **_

_**The Hokage followed Nami out and said, "You were lucky Iruka was in a good mood, Nami."**_

_**Nami grinned. "Thanks for the save back there too, jiichan. But why were you hangin' around the academy anyway?"**_

"_**I usually take a stroll around Konoha every once in a while. A Hokage's got to keep up with the new generations, you know."**_

"_**Where else do you go?"**_

"_**Well sometimes I visit the memorial, training grounds, bath house…"**_

_**Silence fell between them.**_

"…"

"…"

"_**Jiichan…you're…a PERVERT!" Nami pointed a finger at the Hokage accusingly. **_

_**The Hokage sighed.**_

**He's probably thinking that he's doomed since I found out his secret! **_**Nami thought. **_**Now I can blackmail the Hokage! This is my lucky day! **

_**End Flashback**_

Nami felt a twinge of guilt. _I never would have black-mailed you, jiichan. I'm sorry. _She stood straight from her bow and walked away so the next person could come. As she came back, she noticed Midori wiping away tears. Nami looked up into the morose gray sky, she thought, _Even though we didn't know him all that well…he was still apart of us. All of us._

---

In a dark, uncharted area, a man groaned. He was sitting on a chair, shaking slightly and cursing. "Damn that old man!" he cursed. "What he did to my arms…"

"If it's any consolation, Orochimaru-sama, not everyone can take down a Hokage."

"Silence, Kabuto!" Orochimaru hissed. "I'm in no mood for your kissing-up."

Kabuto was silent, but only for a second. "Orochimaru-sama, I just recently found out that what Dosu said…"

"About the girls who could predict the future?" Orochimaru scoffed.

"Yes. It may be true," Kabuto said. "I think they would make an excellent addition to our prisoners. They would come in handy. And we wouldn't need all three, just one."

Orochimaru was silent for a while.

Kabuto was about to speak up when Orochimaru said, "I want you to investigate these girls for a little while. I'm confident you can get _that _done."

Kabuto nodded and bowed. "When shall I leave?"

"Once it is convenient."

"Hai." Kabuto walked towards the door and with one look at his master, disappeared. _This is gonna be fun…_

_

* * *

_Sorry if the Gaara vs. Naruto thing was a little sketchy but I didn't really have the energy to look through anime and/or manga for it...So tired...

Anyway, I'd like to recommend a little story for anyone who loves OCs and making them as much as I do, a story with much potential, Bloody Angel X's Blades of Grass. (I hope you don't mind me mentioning it without permission, BAX) So R&R BAX's story too! That is, AFTER you leave me one! XD Until next time!

-HM


	27. Suspicions and Dinner

NAAAAAAAAA! Sorry, sorry! It's kind of late in the day of my usual update time, but I still updated on the usual update day (um...what a weird way to phrase that...)! Anyway, the excuse is that when I logged into my e-mail there were TONS of e-mails from FF saying that lots of people updated and I was like, "YAY! PEOPLE UPDATED!" And then after several hours I was like, "OH NO! _I _HAVEN'T UPDATED!" And I kept getting side-tracked. Sigh...what can you do? (grin) Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

In a dark, uncharted area, a man groaned. He was sitting on a chair, shaking slightly and cursing. "Damn that old man!" he cursed. "What he did to my arms…"

"If it's any consolation, Orochimaru-sama, not everyone can take down a Hokage."

"Silence, Kabuto!" Orochimaru hissed. "I'm in no mood for your kissing-up."

Kabuto was silent, but only for a second. "Orochimaru-sama, I just recently found out that what Dosu said…"

"About the girls who could predict the future?" Orochimaru scoffed.

"Yes. It may be true," Kabuto said. "I think they would make an excellent addition to our prisoners. They would come in handy. And we wouldn't need all three, just one."

Orochimaru was silent for a while.

Kabuto was about to speak up when Orochimaru said, "I want you to investigate these girls for a little while. I'm confident you can get _that _done."

Kabuto nodded and bowed. "When shall I leave?"

"Once it is convenient."

"Hai." Kabuto walked towards the door and with one look at his master, disappeared. _This is gonna be fun…_

---

Nami and Kyoko were eating at a small sweet shop, several bags of groceries next to them.

"Why do we have to stop _here_?" Kyoko said with disgust. "I _hate _sweet things."

"I've heard," Nami said, rolling her eyes as she closed her mouth over some dango. "But _I'm _hungry. And it's not my fault Midori decided she didn't want to get groceries today. What's up with her? She _always _gets them!"

"Maybe that's why," Kyoko shrugged.

"What's so important that she need to see Naruto about anyway?"

Kyoko shrugged once more.

"You don't know anything."

Kyoko gasped and grabbed Nami's shirt, pulling her closer and whispering excitedly, "_I do know that that's Uchiha Itachi sitting right_ _there!_"

Nami gasped and glanced quickly behind her. Turning back to Kyoko she whispered, "_You're right. What do we do?!_"

"_We should just—_"

"Good morning, Kyoko, Nami! I didn't see you there."

The two girls jumped as Kakashi poked his head between the two.

"H-Hi Kakashi-sensei!" the girls chimed.

"It's different of you to arrive first, Kakashi."

Kakashi turned away from the girls to face Sasuke, relieving the two.

"Let's get outta here," Nami said to Kyoko.

"I'm right behind you!"

Once the friends were finally out of earshot from _anyone_, they started talking again.

"Do you think Kakashi-sensei heard us?" Kyoko asked nervously.

"I dunno, the guy looks old enough to be using a hearing aid."

"That's the thing, he _isn't_."

"Whatever," Nami shrugged. "I'm pretty sure he didn't."

"That's not a good sign," Kyoko mumbled.

"Oh no you _didn't_!"

"Well, whether he heard us or not, we still need to get these things home for the sand siblings," Kyoko said in an attempt to change the subject.

"Yeah—hey wait…" Nami said, stopping.

"What?"

"Since…since Midori's hanging with Naruto today…who's gonna cook?"

"…This could turn out really bad."

---

"Naruto-kun…" Midori said, averting her eyes as Naruto stripped down to his underwear. "I can just pay for you if you want…"

"No, no!" Naruto exclaimed. "I have a coupon, really I do! Ah! Here it is!" He handed the coupon to Teuchi and said, "There!"

"Close call," Teuchi remarked with amusement.

Once Naruto had put his clothes back on, Midori looked at him and said, "Geez, you took so long that I finished already."

Naruto grinned as he quickly worked on polishing off the ramen.

"I thought I'd find you here!"

"Eh?" Naruto turned around.

Midori saw a big man with long white hair come in and sit down next to Naruto. _It's Ero-Sennin. _

Jiraiya smiled and placed a hand on Naruto's head saying, "Hey kid."

Naruto gulped his noodles and said, "What do _you _want, Ero-Sennin?"

"Is that any way to talk to me?" Jiraiya said, clearly offended. "You didn't even introduce me to your lady friend!"

Midori flinched. She had hoped Jiraiya wouldn't notice her, but apparently he did.

"Oh yeah. Midori-chan, this is Ero-Sennin," Naruto introduced, less than enthusiastically.

"NOT Ero-Sennin!" Jiraiya shouted, bonking Naruto on the head. "The name's Jiraiya-sama!"

"Hi…" Midori waved awkwardly. Jiraiya scared her.

"Well I didn't come here just for pleasantries," Jiraiya said to Naruto. "I came to ask you if you wanted to come along on a little mission with me."

"WHAT?" Naruto exploded, shattering Midori's ear drum. Naruto jumped up as soon as he finished his ramen and started walking, gesturing Midori to follow him. "I don't wanna go on a 'mission' with you! I've got stuff to do!"

Midori followed along with him and so did Jiraiya.

"But it's no ordinary trip," Jiraiya said. "I want to interview a woman and we're gonna find her."

"I don't have time to go look for girls with you!" Naruto scoffed. "I need to train! And also get Kaksh-sensei to teach me Chidori and other jutsu!" _He's been playing favorites with Sasuke! _

"I don't think you'd be able to learn Chidori," Jiraiya said truthfully. "It's not really your style. But listen…the girl's _really _pretty. You don't want to meet her?"

"I'm not stupid enough to go with Ero-Sennin for _that _reason!" Naruto shouted. "I won't go!"

"Really? Well, I guess I can't force you. I know a jutsu stronger than Chidori…looks like I'll go see if Sasuke wants to come."

"WHAT?"

"Oh, or even better!" Jiraiya turned to Midori and said, "Do _you _want to come Midori?" He winked, signaling for her to play along.

However, Midori didn't even have to say anything for Naruto to get riled up.

"No wait, I'll go with you! I'll go pack now! Ero-Sennin, wait for me here! Midori-chan, come help me pack!"

Midori wasn't about to stand around there with "Ero-Sennin" all day so she shot off, trying to keep up with Naruto's sudden burst of speed.

---

"One, two, three, shoot!"

The four of the residents in the Team Twelve apartment (excluding Gaara since he wasn't about to play a mindless child's game with everyone) were playing Janken.

"Okay, Temari! You lose!" Nami said happily as she thrust her 'rock' in the air.

"Fine..." Temari said, walking over to the kitchen glumly.

"That means _I _don't have to cook!"

"Me neither!" Kyoko grinned.

"We're screwed," Kankuro said.

"Huh? Why?" Nami asked.

"Because Temari can't cook worth crap."

"I HEARD THAT!"

Kankuro ducked as a flying frying pan skimmed his kitty ears.

Kyoko and Nami looked at each other with apprehension.

"Uh…Gaara…?" Kyoko said quietly as she walked to where the jinchuuriki stood. "What's Temari's cooking like?"

"I wouldn't know," Gaara answered.

"Huh?"

"He never ate with us," Kankuro said, wrinkling his nose. "And he's lucky."

This time a cooking item was able to make contact with Kankuro's head. Luckily, it was only a strainer.

"Hey!"

"Shut up, Kankuro! Or else I'll be forced to chuck these assorted knives at you!"

"So _that's _where Midori hid them…" Kyoko said thoughtfully. "I was _wondering _where they had gone."

Gaara observed his siblings bickering and the two other girls talking. It was such a drag to stay inside every waking moment since Konoha wasn't too partial to Suna nin anymore. Now he wouldn't even get the chance to talk to Uzumaki Naruto about how he'd be able to change his life to be happier. Then again, all three of these girls seemed happy, Shimizu Kyoko being the happiest. But what had happened to _her _when _she _was younger? For her to act so carefree, she'd had to have a good life, right?

_I think I'll question her later, _Gaara thought. It was then a strange smell filled the air.

"Temari, whatever you're making smells like crap!" Nami shouted, holding her nose.

"What was that you little—!"

"Run away!" Nami yelped as she hid behind Kyoko.

Temari stormed back into the small kitchen and continued stirring something in a pot muttering something about brats who didn't appreciate her cooking.

Kankuro opened a window in an attempt to let in some fresh air.

"I think I'll go write my will right now," Nami said quietly as she exited to her room.

---

"Oh boy, oh boy!" Naruto beamed as he tossed some things into his backpack. "I can't wait to learn that new technique! I'll blow Kakashi-sensei _and _Sasuke away with it!"

"You sure are packing a lot of stuff, Naruto-kun…" Midori said hesitantly.

"I gotta be ready for anything!" Naruto exclaimed. "Maybe Sakura-chan will start liking me too! What do you think, Midori-chan?"

"Uh…maybe…" Midori said.

"All done!" Naruto declared, standing up and shutting his backpack.

Midori stared at the towering backpack with wide eyes. _How's he gonna move this? _

"Well, I'll be going now! Say goodbye to everyone for me, Midori-chan!"

"Okay…"

Naruto had a little trouble fitting through the door, but eventually he was able to get past.

Midori sweat dropped as she witnessed this and shook her head in wonder. _Good luck, Naruto-kun._

After she shut and locked Naruto's door (she put the key under the mat like Naruto had asked), she found herself wandering through the outer parts of Konoha where there were more hills and trees than buildings yet she had nothing to do. _Maybe I should go see if I can find Neji… _she thought. Then she shook her head furiously. _No, no, no! I'm _not _going to bother Neji! I've been seeing him way too much now so I don't want him to think I'm stalking him or anything…Which I'm not! _Midori added the last part to reassure herself. _But I _do _want to see him…_

Her internal battling was interrupted by a voice.

"Yo, Midori."

It was Shikamaru, lying on a bench.

"Hi, Shikamaru-kun," Midori greeted pleasantly, "How are you?"

"Fine, I guess," Shikamaru shrugged.

Midori sighed subconsciously.

"Something wrong?" Shikamaru asked, though it pained him to ask.

"Nah, nothing's wrong," Midori said.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Ino says you and Neji...have something?"

Midori's eyes widened. "We do?" she said, though she didn't mean to say out loud. And if they did, how would _Ino _know?

Shikamaru shrugged. "It could be a lie. Ino said she saw you guys together at the hospital after the attack on Konoha."

"Oh…well…"

_**Flashback**_

"_**There we go," the medic nin said. "We've closed up your wounds so all you have to do is let it heal for about a day."**_

"_**Thank you, sir," Midori said. "I appreciate it."**_

"_**No problem," the man said.**_

_**Neji, who was beside her, also had a few bandages here or there. Other than that, he was unscathed, but Midori couldn't help but notice the blood stains she had left on the back of his shirt.**_

"_**Um…sorry about your shirt, Neji," Midori said, turning a little red.**_

_**Neji raised an eyebrow. "No harm done."**_

"_**And thanks for taking me here," Midori added.**_

"_**Anyone would've done it," Neji said.**_

_**Midori got the feeling that she was annoying him a bit so she stopped talking, irritated that her cheeks felt so hot.**_

_**Neji seemed to notice, but he didn't say anything about it. **_

_**After about a minute passed with silence, Midori decided to say something.**_

"_**I/Well—"**_

_**Midori stopped abruptly when she and Neji spoke at the same time. **_**How embarrassing, **_**Midori thought. **_

"_**I should go now," Midori said speedily. As she turned to leave, she crashed into someone and fell backwards…straight into Neji.**_

"_**Oh, I'm sorry!" the nurse exclaimed. **_

"_**Um…that's okay…" Midori said, blushing furiously.**_

_**The nurse seemed to be in a hurry because she sped past the two quickly after.**_

"_**Um…sorry," Midori apologized as she straightened herself awkwardly. "Thanks for…catching me." **_

"…_**Don't mention it." **_

_**End Flashback**_

_Now that I think about it…Ino _was _there… _Midori thought, eyes wide. _She was helping the medics carry back all the injured people! ARGH!_

"Hello? Midori?"

"Huh?" Midori was brought out of her thoughts and instantly saw a hand waving in front of her face.

"You zoned out for a moment," Shikamaru said, looking at her strangely. "And…your face is kind of red."

"Oh! That's because it's kind of hot!" Midori said lamely as she laughed nervously. "I just remembered I have to go home before Nami and Kyoko burn down the apartment! I'll see you later, Shikamaru-kun!"

Shikamaru watched her run off and shook his head. "Maybe Ino _was _right. If I tell her she'll be troublesome about it." He sighed and rested his head back on the bench.

---

"AUGH! WHAT HAPPENED?!" Midori screamed as she was greeted by a black smog that filled her lungs. She coughed and started waving her hand in the air in an attempt to clear the smoke.

Nami and Kyoko appeared suddenly, waving their battle fans in the air.

"Home already, Midori?" Kyoko said.

"You know, if we knew you were going to be home so early we wouldn't have let _Temari _cook!" Nami said, annoyed.

"You let _Temari _cook?!" Midori yelped as she ran through the door and straight into the kitchen.

The hum of a fire extinguisher sounded and a white substance attacked the pan that Temari had been momentarily by. Midori breathed heavily as she stopped the fire extinguisher. "You…guys…are…impossible," she panted. She dropped the extinguisher and turned angrily towards everyone in general. "What are you trying to do, burn the apartment down?! You want us to be kicked out of our own place or setting fire?!"

"I was just cooking," Temari said with a tone of annoyance as she stared into the now snow-white pan. "It was just a little smoky."

"A little?!"

"Cool down, Midori," Nami said. "She _was _just cooking…something or other. And nobody got hurt!"

"Speak for yourself," Kankuro grumbled.

Midori sighed and slapped her forehead. _HOW long did they say they were staying? _

"Look, I'm no one's burden," Temari said, crossing her arms. "And they wanted food so I just cooked. It's not my problem if they don't like it or if you don't give them a chance to try it!"

Midori didn't want to argue with Temari partially because Temari's giant, iron fan was leaning against the wall in reach of the Suna kunoichi, so she decided to drop the matter. "Actually, I thought we could just get some takeout. Cooking's really troublesome, you know, so what do you say?"

"Fine, whatever," Temari sighed. She started walking out of the completely abolished kitchen mumbling something about that lazy bum from the Chuunin Exams.

Midori groaned as she picked up the fire extinguisher and said, "Hey, Kyoko."

"What?"

"Go buy some food."

"What? Why?! Nami and I already had to get your groceries!"

"Which are _now _either burnt or mixed in with foam because _some _people forgot to put them away! Now GO!"

"Fine! Fine!" Kyoko high-tailed it out of the apartment, deciding that it wouldn't do her any good to talk to Midori when she was being so malicious anyway.

As she walked, she stopped by the Ichiraku Ramen Shop. The aroma of scrumptious, mouth-watering miso ramen was too much for her to handle. She dashed into the shop and said, "Hey jiisan, do you have takeout?!"

Teuchi turned around and said, "Sure, Kyoko-kun! No time to eat out?"

"You could say that!"

"I'll make it quick then! How many?"

After a quick count, Kyoko answered, "Six!"

Teuchi turned back around and started the order.

"Wow, that's a lot!" Ayame remarked. "Do you have guests or something? Are you sharing with another team?"

"Um…yes!"

"Not a lot of people your age come for ramen so much, I think," Ayame said, giggling a little. "That is, except for Naruto-kun! And maybe that Akimichi boy. Who is it?"

"Uh…nobody special," Kyoko lied.

"The reverse is always true!" Ayame stated. "Tell me! Is it a boy? A very hungry boy?" Ayame said, putting a finger to her chin in a thinking position. "Back to that Akimichi boy again…Chouji, I think?"

"Not _Chouji_!" Kyoko said, sounding a little offended.

"Oh, then it _is _someone special!" Ayame said.

_Dang it, _Kyoko thought.

"Soooo…?" Ayame said nosily.

Gaara's face came to mind, but Kyoko wasn't about to _tell _Ayame that she was keeping not only one but _three _sand ninja who were not yet fully trustworthy allies of Konoha in her apartment. "Well…"

"Here you go, Kyoko-kun!" Teuchi said, giving Kyoko two bags, each with three containers of ramen in them.

"Arigato!" Kyoko exclaimed with relief as she handed him the correct amount of money. "Bye!"

"Daddy!" Ayame whined. "She was about to tell me who she was secretly dating! How disappointing!"

"I'm sorry, Ayame," Teuchi said, shrugging.

---

"Naa!" Kyoko helplessly stumbled through the busy streets of Konoha. For some reason, Konoha seemed extremely lively tonight. She was pushed off to the side more than once and started to get annoyed. The two bags of six containers of ramen were stacked in her arms since the old man had given her brown _paper _bags _without _any handy hand-holesinstead of _plastic _bags.

"Watch where you're going."

"You watch where _you're _going!" Kyoko shouted irritably. Then she felt one of the bags being lifted off the one she was holding. Staring curiously at the man who had kindly taken the bag for her, she examined him. He was young, probably a few years older than her. He had long, black hair pulled in a neat ponytail and glasses. A Konoha headband was placed over his forehead. His eyes were ice blue and he had a charming smile on his face.

"Hi there," the boy said, still grinning. "Need any help with this? Where are you off too?"

"My house," Kyoko explained. "I have um…guests. And I have to bring ramen for them." _He's from Konoha…but I've never seen him before. Weird…_

"Then I'll help you."

"Okay." Kyoko wasn't about to carry all this stuff through a crowd and the boy seemed polite anyway.

"So, tell me, what's your name?" the man asked.

"My name's Shimizu Kyoko," Kyoko answered. "What about you?"

"Mujitsu Shinsetsu," the stranger said. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Kyoko-san."

"Kyoko's fine," Kyoko shrugged. "Lots of people call me Kyoko-kun, though."

"Kyoko-kun," he nodded as if he were programming the name into his memory.

"Here's my place," Kyoko said as she walked up to the door and turning around to face Shinsetsu. "You can just put the bag down, I'll handle it."

"Nonsense," Shinsetsu said. "I'd feel much better if I helped you bring it in."

"Um…Okay…" Kyoko said uncertainly. "Here we go then! We're gonna come in now! Me and Shinsetsu! Coming in!" she announced loudly. She heard faint sounds of shuffling and a short crash, then opened the door.

Nami and Midori were sitting idly on the couch, Midori seemingly reading a book and Nami laying upside-down.

"Oh, Kyoko, you brought a guest," Midori cracked a smile. _What's the matter with her?! Why'd she bring someone, let alone a guy we've never met!_

"Who's your friend?" Nami asked curiously. _Since when does Kyoko make any other friends besides us? _

"My name is Mujitsu Shinsetsu," Shinsetsu introduced, bowing. "And you lovely ladies are?"

"Not interested," Nami said immediately.

"Nami!" Midori hissed as she bonked her friend on the head resulting in Nami flipping over and landing on her back.

"Ow…"

Midori rolled her eyes and said, "I'm Hikari Midori. Nice to meet you." She shook hands with Shinsetsu and nudged Nami as she sat up, rubbing her head.

"Kawa Nami," Nami mumbled. "Who would like to know what made Kyoko bring you here."

Kyoko glared at Nami. "He offered to help carry one of the bags of ramen."

"You bought _ramen_?" Midori slapped her forehead.

"Hey, _you _didn't tell me what to buy!" Kyoko huffed.

"Whatever, it's fine," Midori sighed.

"Kyoko-kun said you had guests," Shinsetsu said, looking around. "But I don't see anyone."

Midori and Nami glared daggers at Kyoko that said "I'll deal with you later". Kyoko shrunk.

"Well, you should probably get going," Midori said to Shinsetsu. "I mean, our guests haven't come yet and we don't really have any room for extra guests. I'm really sorry."

"No, no, I don't want to intrude," Shinsetsu said, holding up his hands and smiling. "It was nice meeting you girls. I'll see you around then?"

"Sure," Midori said, opening the door quickly. _Just leave already! Please! _

"Bye, Kyoko-kun," Shinsetsu said with a wave. "Midori-san, Nami-san—"

"Goodbye!" Nami slammed the door in his face and faced her friends.

"Well…_that _was pleasant," Midori sighed.

"What an annoying guy," Nami said, crossing her arms. "What, did you scrape him off the street or something, Kyoko?"

Kyoko shrugged. "He kind of was just…there."

"You can come out now, guys," Midori called.

Temari came out from one of the bedrooms and Kankuro slipped out from under the couch. Gaara came out of the closet and said less than merrily.

"What're we eating?" Kankuro asked hungrily.

"Miso ramen, compliments to Ichiraku!" Kyoko said, gesturing towards the bags of takeout.

Temari and Kankuro looked at each other.

"It could be worse," Kankuro shrugged.

"And what do you mean by that?" Temari frowned.

"…"

WHAM!

"Ow…" Kankuro rubbed his head in pain as his black hat started to rise. "Temari, you're beginning to get abusive."

Temari just turned away with her arms crossed.

* * *

Eh...for some reason I don't like the way I portrayed Temari...SORRY TEMARI FOR MY CRAPPY PORTRAYING SKILLS! Oh well. Coming up next is...THE GIRLS' PASTS! OMG Yay! R&R please!

Here's another story recommendation! WHOO! If you have the time and like my story, you might like RebelFlame's Goddess! (Again, I didn't really ask permission but...) Leave a review and some feedback cuz everyone loves them please! Thankies!

Stick around for next time cuz I'll have a SPECIAL announcement...(wink)

-HM


	28. Pasts of Deception

Here's today's chapter! The reason I say "today's" is for two reasons. The first reason is obviously because I'm updating today. The second reason is because this won't exactly be "this week's chapter" because I'm gonna do a multi-update in honor of my birthday in a week from Sunday! YAY for June 3rd! Who can guess how old I'm turning? Go on, guess!

Ahem, so anyway, once Sunday rolls along, I'll start the day-by-day update and we'll all count down to my birthday because I am oh so SPECIAL. XD Hey, bear with me. It's good for you too.

Now enjoy this chapter!

IMPORTANT: This chapter consists of the girls' pasts and how they met in a nutshell. A very BIG nutshell. Anyway, think of it as a sort of Kakashi Gaiden-ish type of style and the POVs switch a bit without actually switching if that makes any sense at all. You'll see when you start reading. So, I'll stop wasting your time and let you get on with the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

---A Few Days Later---

_Knock, knock. _

"Coming!" Kyoko called. "Quick, get under!" she hissed quietly as she attempted to stuff a petulant Kankuro underneath the couch.

"Watch it!" Kankuro whispered angrily as he was finally hidden from view. "Why can't I just go into one of the bedrooms like Temari and Gaara?!"

"Shut up!" Nami ordered quietly as she slid into the room from her bedroom and put a hand on the doorknob. She opened the door to see Kakashi and Marieke. Raising an eyebrow, she said, "Hello…?"

Midori walked into the room and cocked her head slightly. "Marieke-sensei? What are you doing here?"

"I just came to say hello," Marieke said pleasantly. She paused for a moment, then said, "Mind if I ask you girls something?"

"Of course not," Midori said, a bit uneasily. "Um…what do you want to ask?"

"Well…I've been training you all for such a long time," Marieke said, sitting on the couch Kankuro just so happened to be under. "And I don't remember ever hearing about your backgrounds. Sensei and subordinates must open up together to tighten the bonds between us, after all."

The girls exchanged confused glances.

"Um…okay…?" Kyoko said.

"Excellent!" Marieke said. "Now, now, don't leave out any details!"

"Well…it all started like this…" Nami started.

---

"Oh dear. What did she do _now_?"

"She stole eggs from the farmer and threw them against Ryosaki-san's windows," a priest said. He was holding a pouting blond girl by the wrist. She seemed to be about eleven.

"Oh dear…" the woman in the doorway groaned, holding her head.

"I advise you to control your daughter, Mariko-san, or else we will have to take drastic measures. Nami's been causing too much trouble around here."

"I will make sure of it, thank you," Mariko said, bowing and taking the girl's hand. Once she shut the door, she turned angrily to the girl who was attempting to sneak away before Mariko saw. Unfortunately for her, Mariko grabbed her wrists. "Nami! What is the matter with you?! Haven't I raised you right?! Why did you act so disgracefully?!"

"Saki was asking for it!" Nami protested. "She was acting all snobby and—"

"That is no reason at all!" Mariko shouted. "Now go to your room! NOW!"

Nami glared at Mariko and trudged to her room. "Gladly!"

Mariko sighed and slumped in her chair. _Where did I go wrong? _She remembered the first time she had set eyes on Nami. That was one day she would never forget.

It was late at night when she heard something that sounded like crying outside her humble home. She opened her door, letting cold air come in. It was immediately apparent to her that a baby wrapped loosely in a bundle of blankets was lying on her doorstep. Gasping, she picked the fragile baby up and looked around. Who had left the baby? How did it get there?

She held the baby closely to her chest and started rocking back and forth, shushing it quietly. After a while, the baby's cries became softer and soon it was fast asleep. It wasn't until Mariko took the baby in that she realized it was a she. The next day, she decided to name her "Kawa Nami".

But that was a long time ago. However, she remembered that as Nami grew, trouble seemed to follow her on a leash. Every single day she would either come home with scratches and bruises from being in fights or with the priest or some other adult figure dragging her by the arm telling of what mischief she'd caused. Mariko had always sent her to her room everyday.

_Perhaps it's that she doesn't have a real mother, _Mariko thought. _Perhaps I haven't been a good mother._ _She doesn't know who her real parents are…so perhaps…perhaps she's hurting inside. _But Nami never seemed to be hurting at all. Her emotions always seemed to be happy, cynical, comical, or angry in general. She was never sad.

Then Mariko noticed a small fox, Natsumi, making its way towards her. She noticed a piece of paper in Natsumi's mouth and opened it up. Mariko had to smile when she saw what was written. _Sorry._

It seemed to be almost like a ritual everyday. Mariko sent Nami to her room then Nami would send her fox, Natsumi to Mariko with a note, always bearing the same word. When Nami was younger, Mariko had snuck into Nami's room and start tickling her from behind until the girl was out of breath and her face was purple. But today, Mariko was reminded of how long ago that was, which was five years ago. Mariko had found Nami at least eleven years ago. Nami had no birthday, so they had just gone by the years of when the two were united.

Mariko's smile faded. _It's been so long and…Nami hasn't seen the world outside of Fox Country… _

"Mom?" Nami asked as she walked into the room slowly. "Can I come back now?" Natsumi was at her side.

"Yes, Nami, you may," Mariko said. She hesitated for a second before saying, "Nami, you know I love you, right?"

"Yeah…" Nami said.

"And you know that…that I'd do anything to make you happy?"

"Yeah…"

"Well…just checking," Mariko said with a smile. "Now you go outside and don't cause anymore trouble, all right?"

"Okay…" Nami shrugged. "C'mon, Natsumi!"

Almost as soon as Nami started throwing a Frisbee around for Natsumi to catch, she noticed a black-haired girl walking particularly slowly among the crowds. It was usually busy in the village, everyone had something to do, but that girl seemed out of place. The girl was about Nami's age, though Nami was almost positive that she'd never seen the girl around, not to mention she had a backpack.

Midori looked around wearily. She didn't know where she was exactly, just that she was in Fox Country, a fairly new country that even she hadn't been before. Over the past few months, she had been traveling nonstop. Ever since she left the old inn near the fallen Hikari Country, she had discovered immediately the hardships of travel. Midori hadn't slept for about one and a half days and that didn't do wonders for her body. Just when she thought she was about to collapse, she heard a voice calling, "Girl! Hey, you!" Looking around cautiously, she caught sight of a blond stranger waving her hand around in the air with a small fox sitting next to her. Curiously, Midori walked over. The girl didn't seem dangerous and this wasn't a shinobi nation anyway.

When Midori made her way over to the girl who seemed to be about her own age, the girl smiled in a friendly way and waved. "Hi, I'm Kawa Nami! I don't think I've seen you around."

Midori found it strange that the girl would just come out and say her name, but answered, "I'm not from around here. My name is...Hikari Midori."

"So then you're a traveler!"

Midori stared at the girl for a while. Apparently she didn't know of the Hikari Country's being wiped off the map. How could she? She had to have been at least six years old when it happened. _Good, _Midori thought. _She doesn't know. _She smiled. "That's right."

"You kind of young to be traveling," Nami remarked. "What's up with that? Are you with your parents or something?"

Midori shook her head. "My parents…died a long time ago."

"Oh. I suppose mine did to."

Midori raised her eyebrows in slight shock.

"I mean, well…they probably did," Nami shrugged. "I didn't know my parents. Mariko's the one who's been taking care of me."

"Mariko?" Midori said.

"Yeah, she's my adopted mom!" Nami said. "From the day that I was born!" Midori thought she saw her smile fade slightly, but only for a second. "Hey, do you have a place to stay?"

"Actually, no," Midori answered.

"Then how about stay with me and mom?" Nami asked.

"I can do that?" Midori said, cocking her head to the side. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah!" Nami nodded. "Mom—I mean, Mariko's a very kind woman."

Before Midori could protest any longer, Nami grabbed her arm and dragged her inside, Natsumi following closely at their heels. A woman was sitting in a small room seemingly in deep thought. She was fairly pretty with her long, brown hair pulled up in a bun and blue eyes.

"Mom! Look who I found on the streets! Her name's Hikari Midori and she wants to stay here!"

"Hm?" Mariko seemed to finally notice the girls.

"U-Uh i-if it's not too much trouble, Mariko-san!" Midori stuttered, bowing.

"No trouble at all," Mariko smiled good-naturedly. "I'm just glad Nami made a friend."

"_Mom_," Nami hissed. "Don't _tell _people that!"

"Sorry, sorry," Mariko said, standing up. "It's getting close to dinnertime. Why don't you girls go to your room, Nami, and I'll bring something in?"

"Okay, thanks!" Nami agreed. She pulled Midori to her room and closed the door as soon as Natsumi was in. The little fox circled Midori curiously as Midori sat down on the floor, cross-legged and tired.

"That's Natsumi," Nami explained, picking up her fox. "She's my mom's fox. Of course, there are many others, but Natsumi's her favorite."

"I see."

"Were your parents kind?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, you don't have to answer but…I never really knew what a 'parent' was. I imagine that…they were the ones who took care of you and…well…"

"They were," Midori interrupted. "To me, they were the kindest in the world. And…I really miss them." Midori didn't know why, but she felt as if she had some kind of connection to the girl. Like…they're lives were closely related. "Nami-chan, do you have a dream?"

"I think so…I want to find my parents. Find out if they're alive or not."

Midori smiled. "I have a dream too. My dream is not to avenge my parents' deaths…but to become a shinobi and live up to my parents' names."

"That's so…" Nami said slowly. "COOL!"

Midori cocked her head to the side. Hadn't Nami been extremely solemn before? "Um…thank you?"

"Hey," Nami said suddenly, holding out her fist. "Let's make a pact, okay? We'll both follow our dreams and we'll both make them happen!"

Midori stared at Nami's fist until she realized that this was Nami's type of 'handshake' or something. She held out her fist and the two girls' knuckles connected. "Right," she nodded.

"Food!" Mariko called as she pushed Nami's door open with one hand. The other had a rather large tray with two dishes packed with delicious-smelling food and a few cups of tea on it. "Here you go, girls!"

"Domo arigato, Mariko-san!" Midori said gratefully as she took a plate.

When Mariko left, Nami said, "So, what's your story? How did you get here and why?"

"I was searching for a suitable shinobi country," Midori explained, digging into her food and still managing proper etiquette. "You see…I used to live in a place called 'Hikari no Kuni' in 'Dokutsugakure'. You wouldn't know if it because…well…it was wiped off the map a long time ago."

Nami's eyes widened. "Wiped off the map?"

"Yeah. Hikari no Kuni used to be a small country near Kumogakure in Kaminari no Kuni (Lightning Country). Apparently, they were getting a little greedy and decided to take over. My country unfortunately…didn't have any allies and we were small. Anyway…my clan along with my village and country were devastated by Kumogakure forces and I don't know if I'm the only one still alive or if there are anymore on this Earth. My parents sacrificed themselves for my safety." Her hand instinctively went to the crystal hanging around her neck. "This is the Hikari Suishou. It supplies me with power and…it's been passed down from generation to generation in the Hikari Clan."

"Wow…" Nami said. "So, you're like…an actual shinobi?"

Midori shook her head. "No…I don't know how to use it and I haven't exactly been able to find a good place to stay and become a shinobi."

"Now you make _me _wanna become a shinobi!" Nami said, crossing her arms. "Too bad they don't have any shinobi villages here…"

"Yeah…" Midori said. "Which means I leave in the morning."

"What? But you just got here!"

"I know," Midori said. "I can't rest until I find a permanent place to live. My eyes are set on Konohagakure in Hi no Kuni. It seems like the right place to start…" Midori noticed Nami's slightly forlorn face and said, "Um…Nami-chan…"

"Hm?" Nami's face brightened and she said, "Oh, Nami's fine! And don't worry about anything! I'm sure you'll kick butt as a kunoichi in Konoha! I hear it's a nice place."

Midori nodded. _Is she…sad? We just met and yet she seems to act as if we've been friends for such a long time. _"I have too."

---The Next Day---

"Bye, Midori," Nami said. "Get to Konoha safely, ya hear?"

"Yeah," Midori nodded. "Thanks. Thank you for allowing me to stay, Nami, Mariko-san."

"Midori," Mariko said quietly. "You wouldn't mind if…if Nami came along with you, would you?"

"Huh?" Nami said, surprised. "…Mom…?"

"Nami's been living here all her life and I want her to see the world and…to become a strong shinobi! Will you make sure of that, Midori?"

Midori was shocked. _Mariko-san wants Nami to leave her home? _"H-Hai!"

"Mom…?" Nami said.

"Nami, it's about time you left home," Mariko said with a smile. "I know you want to become a shinobi, and this country wouldn't do you any good with that dream. So, I think you should go with Midori to Konoha. You have no objections, do you?"

Nami shook her head with increasing speed. "N-No! Of course not! Um…thank you…mom…" Nami gave her mother a hug and Mariko pulled a backpack out to Nami and said, "Here. I packed your thing while you were asleep. And you should also take Natsumi with you."

Nami shook her head. "No, mom. I don't want to take Natsumi."

"Oh?"

"Mom, foxes are _your _thing," Nami said. "And I don't think Natsumi isn't the fighting type. I don't want her to get hurt and besides…I kind of don't want any help from you or Natsumi on this journey. You've helped me for too long already. Now, I want to see if I can support myself."

"…If that's what makes you happy," Mariko said.

"It really does," Nami smiled.

"We should be going now," Midori said. "Thanks again, Mariko-san."

"By, mom!" Nami waved as she and Midori started to walk away.

"…Be safe, Nami!" Mariko called. "And visit sometime, okay?"

"I will!"

---A Few Months Later---

"It'll be about five days until we reach Konoha!" Midori announced. "I can't wait…"

"We'll have to work extra hard," Nami stated. "Especially since we're gonna start the academy so late…"

"I'm sure they'll let us skip most of the lessons," Midori shrugged. "I mean, I've taught you everything I learned about the way of the shinobi from my old village…" she trailed off.

It was silent.

Suddenly, Nami heard a rustling close by. Alert, she said, "Midori! Did you hear that?"

Midori looked up and said, "Yeah. It's coming from over there." She pointed in a direction and quietly snuck toward it with Nami.

The two girls peeked from the bushes and saw a girl with dark hair seemingly tangled within a net.

Nami laughed out loud.

"_Nami_!" Midori hissed.

However, it seemed that the girl took notice of Nami and Midori already and her face flushed red.

"Who the hell are you guys?!"

Midori's face contorted into a painting full of infuriation and disgust. "Don't talk that way to us or else we'll leave you lying there!" Despite her threat, she walked over and took out a penknife and started cutting the net. "Nami, come help." As soon as she and Nami were done, Midori stood up and crossed her arms. "There."

The girl untangled the rest of the rope from her body and brushed herself off. "Um…thanks."

"Well, we couldn't just leave you sitting there," was Midori's reply.

"Uh…yeah we could," Nami said. "How could you let something stupid like that happen anyway?"

The girl glared at Nami and said, "That's what happens when you're attacked by rouge ninja who don't think you're good enough to kill." Her tone of voice startled Nami and Midori slightly, and the awkward silence that followed didn't do wonders for the conversation either.

"…Well…um, my name is Hikari Midori," Midori said, outstretching her hand for a handshake. "And this is Kawa Nami. We're traveling to Konohagakure."

"_Why _are you telling all our personal stuff," Nami whispered to Midori.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Shimizu Kyoko," Kyoko said, taking Midori's hand. It seemed that she didn't hear Nami's comment, and that was for the best. "And wouldn't you know it; I'm going to Konoha too. I wanna become a kunoichi."

"So do we," Midori said with a smile.

"You don't seem strong enough to be a kunoichi," Nami commented mockingly.

"And like _you're _strong?" Kyoko frowned.

"I could beat you," Nami stated.

"You looking for a fight?"

"Hey, hey," Midori said, stepping between the two. "No need to start a commotion. If what you said is true, Shimizu-san, let's just continue on our way to Konoha before they show up again."

"Call me Kyoko," Kyoko said, not taking her eyes off of Nami. "But as soon as we're out of this place, I'm gonna fight you, Kawa Nami."

"Hmph. I look forward to it," Nami answered.

---A few nights later---

"So Kyoko, what's your story?" Nami asked as she threw a small stick into the crackling fire. "We've told you ours."

Kyoko lowered her head. "Yeah…and unfortunately mine isn't very happy either."

Midori looked upon her new friend with concern. "Then we'll understand."

Kyoko nodded and stared into the fire blankly. "When I was younger, I lived in Kiba no Kuni, the Land of Fang. You know it's not a shinobi country…but it used to have a shinobi village. The village was made some years ago, and it was supposed to be named Kigakure, the Village Hidden in the Trees. I wanted to become one of the first people entering the academy in the new village, but my parents didn't like the idea. Still, my little sister still needed care and they didn't argue too much about it. So as I grew up, my parents took care of my sister, Miyoko. Weird, isn't it? Kyoko and Miyoko. I think it's weird. I mean, who would name their two daughters K_yoko _and Mi_yoko_. That's just—"

"Uh…Kyoko…" Midori coughed.

"Oh. Yeah, right. Um…let's see…oh yeah. So I waited for the day until I grew old enough to enter the academy and while I waited I helped in my parents' shop for some extra cash. I didn't have a lot of friends cuz I was kind of shy and…well…people always left me alone. But when I was six I met a girl named Sumika. She was the only real friend I ever had…until now, that is." Kyoko smiled fondly at this memory. "It was so fun to play together. She wanted to be a kunoichi too, and that's how we met which was in the academy in Kigakure. But…after barely a week training…Sumika was absent more and more…and I didn't know why. Then, I discovered that…that Sumika had a terrible disease. I can't remember the name, I was so young…but…" Kyoko's expression turned dispirited and her voice became low. "I went to her house and her mother told me that Sumika was terribly sick. So sick she couldn't get out of bed. So I asked to come into her room to visit her, to see if she was okay. Sumika could barely breathe and I held onto her hand for hours…Sumika made me make a promise. She said to forget about her, and to continue living, making more friends, become a great kunoichi, and…just to be happy. Then she died."

"Kyoko…" Midori whispered sympathetically as she noticed a tear roll down Kyoko's cheek.

"I never thought I could live up to that promise I made," Kyoko admitted, wiping her eyes. "And I tried to erase Sumika from my memory but…you just can't forget someone like that. I didn't make anymore friends and my grades in the academy were slipping…and worst of all, I wasn't happy. Some years later, my village was attacked. Since it was still new without any real experienced ninja, it was totally wiped out…along with my family who moved there just for me. I tried to escape with Miyoko, but we were separated. I don't know if Miyoko made it or not…and the village was never remade in fear of another attack. And now…here we are." She put on a sad smile and said, "That's pretty much my life."

"You…you didn't have to tell us all of that…" Midori said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "If it hurt so much…"

"No, but that's just it," Kyoko said a bit more brightly. "I told you guys because I felt like you guys are friends…friends who can help me fulfill my promise to Sumika."

"You promised a lot," Nami said, closing her eyes and leaning backwards to lay right-side up. "Think you can do it?"

"Of course," Kyoko said determinedly. "I've already fulfilled one part, and that's to make friends. Sumika would be happy."

"I'm sure she would," Midori smiled. "And don't worry, we'll help you out."

"Yeah," Nami nodded. "Cuz as of now, we're friends."

"For always…" Midori said warmly.

"And forever," Kyoko added with a grin.

* * *

And there it is! Thanks for reading, everyone! R&R please! And come back on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday...yeah, you get it. Again, R&R!

If anyone's interested in seeing my crappy pencil-drawing of a cover of Narutoverse no Jutsu just go to the link in my profile's website to my recently-made DA account. I drew it a long time ago and I forgot some details but hey, if you've got nothing else better to do. (sweatdrop) Hopefully I'll be making some more decent artwork later on...if I have the time...

Until Sunday...Farewell!

-HM


	29. Imposter

Day one of the countdown to my birthday is a go! I was actually kind of freaked out today because I couldn't find my flash drive and I wasn't at my home computer so I was like, "OMG WHERE'S MY FLASH DRIVE?! OH NOOOOOOZZZZ!" And I happened to be talking with Nami at the time and she was like, "Chill out, dude" but I died anyway. I eventually found it under a couch (please don't ask me how it got there) and I came back to life. So please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

"I see…" Marieke said contemplatively. "Well, well…what do you know…?"

"What is it, sensei?" Midori asked. "Do you believe us?"

Marieke stared at the girls for a long time. "Why don't you girls tell me the truth?"

"We are!" Kyoko insisted. "Why wouldn't we be?!"

_She doesn't seem like she's lying…_ Marieke thought. _Odd… _"I have some business to attend to. I'll see you all later."

As soon as Marieke left, Kankuro slipped out from under the couch and brushed himself off. "There's something funky about that teacher of yours…Now I need some fresh air."

"Fine, but come back in as soon as you're done," Midori advised.

"Yeah, yeah…"

"How could she not think we were telling the truth?" Kyoko said stubbornly.

"Because we weren't…" Midori said, cocking her head. "What're you talking about, Kyoko?"

"What are _you _talking about, Midori?" Nami asked.

"Stop playing dumb, guys. Don't you remember?" Midori lowered her voice. "We came from a different universe."

Nami and Kyoko stared at Midori blankly.

"Oh yeah…" Nami said, scratching her head absent-mindedly.

Midori looked worriedly at her two teammates and said, "I think I'll go out. I'll come back later. See you."

Nami and Kyoko just shrugged.

---

_This is so strange… _Midori thought. _It's like they're having lapses of memory or something…and sometimes I think I do too…what's happening? _

She opened a door and continued walking down a hallway. Once she got to the right door, she peeked through the window then knocked.

"Come in."

"Iruka-sensei?"

"Ah. Midori, what're you doing here?" Iruka asked. "I was just about to leave."

"I need to talk to you, sensei," Midori said. "It's about…you know…"

Iruka nodded in realization. "Right, right. What can I help you with?"

"Well…it kind of feels like my teammates and I are losing memory of our former universe," Midori explained. "Like we have short moments when we don't know what's happening and…well…it kind of worries me."

"I see what you mean," Iruka nodded. "Do you think it's a side-effect from coming to this world?"

"Maybe…"

"Midori, do you want to go back to your world?"

"What?"

"Do you want to go back to your world?" Iruka repeated seriously.

"Oh…well…" Midori couldn't answer that. She loved this world, the "Narutoverse" despite its dangers, and she was sure her friends did too. But back at home…

"Because if it turns out to be a side-effect, you have the choice to either find a reverse jutsu or stay here for the rest of your life," Iruka continued. "And don't you think you should tell someone else besides me by now? Like Marieke?"

"I don't know…" Midori said helplessly. "Do you think she could take it?"

"She's your sensei, of course," Iruka said. "If you want to find a reverse jutsu, you've got to tell more people. You girls can't handle it all on your own, and don't try to say you can."

"All right," Midori said hesitantly. "Nami and Kyoko are going to be more than reluctant to come back."

"I know," Iruka nodded. "But it's still good to find a second way out of a tough situation."

"Yes…it is. Thanks for your help, sensei."

"Any time."

Midori walked out of the door, deep in thought. Actually, she was so deep in thought that she didn't notice a figure standing just a few ways away behind her.

"So…that's how it is," a female voice chuckled. "I knew it."

---

"Tell sensei WHAT?!"

"Guys, keep it down!" Midori hissed. "The Sand Siblings are still inside and this isn't a thin wall, you know!"

"Why do you want to tell sensei that?" Kyoko demanded in a hushed voice. "She doesn't need to know!"

"Face it," Midori whispered. "Our former memory loss of the happenings of this world isn't just a coincidence! I'm almost positive it's a side effect from the jutsu…"

"Well if it is, what do you wanna do about it?" Nami asked. "It's not like staying here is a _bad _thing."

"But what about our families?" Midori asked.

"My family died a long time ago!" Kyoko declared.

"I don't know my parents…why do you have to stick us in the back with _those _memories at a time like this, huh Midori?!" Nami demanded.

WHACK! WHACK!

"Ooooooowwww!" Nami and Kyoko wailed as they rubbed the back of their heads.

"Snap out of it!" Midori ordered. "Stop acting like those pasts are real! We made them up, remember? At Kyoko's house?"

"What you talkin' about, Midori?" Nami said with arms crossed.

Midori sighed. She searched for the memory long ago in her brain for a few seconds and said, "Listen carefully. We were in your house, Kyoko."

"You mean _our _apartment."

WHACK!

"OW!"

"I SAID listen closely," Midori said dangerously.

Kyoko mumbled something as she rubbed the egg-sized lump on her head.

"We were in your house for a sleepover back in our world. We were fooling around with some index cards and pencils, creating OCs for our own enjoyment."

"What's an 'OC'?" Nami said, confused.

"It means 'original character'," Midori explained. "Anyway, we were role-playing and looked up hand signs off of the internet. With them, we created a jutsu for fun. It was called the 'Narutoverse no Jutsu'."

"'Naruto'? What?" Nami said.

WHACK! WHACK!

"_Stop _doing THAT!" Kyoko and Nami whined.

"Then remember!" Midori said, annoyed. "Guys. _Try _to remember. It was all some childish game…a made-up jutsu that happened to work. Why don't you remember?"

"If what you're saying is true…" Nami said. "Why would we want to go back?"

"That's the same question I'm asking myself."

The three girls were silent.

"Maybe we should still tell Marieke-sensei," Kyoko finally said. "She _is _our sensei, after all."

"So you remember now," Midori said.

Kyoko nodded. "It's a little familiar…and if you say it, it must be true…"

"That's some logic behind that," Nami said, rolling her eyes.

"Then it's settled," Midori said. "We'll tell sensei."

---

"She's on a WHAT?!"

"Keep your voice down…" Midori sighed. "All your constant shouting is giving me a migraine."

"Senshi Marieke-san has been away on a mission for a few days now," the man at the desk explained.

"No wonder we've been off training for a while…" Nami said, scratching her head.

"B-But that's impossible!" Kyoko exclaimed. "We just saw her a while ago!"

"No, I'm certain Marieke-san hasn't come back yet."

The girls left the desk as a team of genin came into the room to receive a mission.

"That guy's on crack, we just _saw _Marieke!" Kyoko said, arms crossed.

"Maybe _we're _the ones on crack," Nami said.

Midori and Kyoko looked at their friend incredulously.

"_What_?" Kyoko said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I mean—" Nami said quickly. "Maybe that wasn't sensei! You know…it just sounded cooler to contradict you…"

Midori rolled her eyes and said, "You have a point there. Sensei not being sensei, I mean."

"So then…_who _was it?" Kyoko asked. "An outsider certainly wouldn't be able to get past Konoha's defenses, right?"

"I'm not so sure about that," Midori said. "Right after the attack, pretty much everyone was busy with repairing the village and the defenses weren't so great."

"But they sent teams of elite ninja to guard the outskirts of the village so no one could get past the borders, right?" Nami asked.

"Yes…but…" Midori said, closing her eyes with contemplation. "If someone were still around in the area or even close…they might be able to break in."

"Who in the right mind would stay after the attack?" Kyoko said. "The area was searched!"

"Which is why I don't really get it…" Midori said. "Kiba-kun and Neji told me the Inuzuka and Hyuuga clan members were the ones searching the area. Both teams found nothing."

"Well, I think we should keep an eye on sensei then!" Nami declared. "And tell everyone!"

"Don't spread anything around!" Midori warned. "Not until we have solid proof. You know the story of the boy who cried wolf."

"Yeah, yeah, fine," Nami said. "But _you _find out more, Midori. You're the one with the connections. Meanwhile, _I'll _tail sensei."

"And what am _I _supposed to do?" Kyoko demanded.

"Do whatever you want," Nami said irritably. "Swoon over your precious Gaara. I know you want to. And besides, the Sand Sibs probably can't stand staying in one place for long."

Kyoko's expression suddenly brightened and she said, "Well, when you put it _that _way…!"

"All right, Team Nami!" Nami called, throwing her fist in the air. "Let's move out!"

Cue the crickets.

"Since when are we called Team _Nami_?!" Kyoko demanded angrily.

"Since I was made the leader! DUH!"

"And since when are _you _leader?!"

"As of now, I'm leader! Now do not oppose me, PEASANT!"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

Midori groaned and walked away, leaving her teammates to disturb the peace.

---

_If I were a Marieke-sensei imposter, where would I be? _Nami thought as she peered over Konoha from a high perch. _Uh…_

Suddenly, by a sheer stroke of luck, Nami spotted a familiar figure in the crowd. _Hey…it's that one dude…uh…Shinsetsu? Yeah! Yeah! It's Shinsetsu! I bet _he's _the one who's been disguising himself as sensei! Showing up like that without notice with Kyoko nonetheless is really suspicious! _Nami leapt from her spot and landed quietly a few feet away from Shinsetsu. She darted behind a pole and narrowed her eyes. _Look at him…acting all casual. And now he's looking at fruit. Suspicious. And now he's paying for some fruit. Suspicious. And now he's…tripping…over an orange…suspicious...? _

Shinsetsu picked himself up and started walking again. Nami made sure to follow.

_This might take a while..._ she thought.

---

"Good afternoon, Hyuuga-sama," Midori said, bowing nervously and trying to hide her flushed face. _Of all the people, why does _he _answer the door?! _"Is Neji home?"

"Yes," Hiashi answered after a while. _That's the girl who always keeps appearing. Hikari Midori, was it? Hm…_ "Stay here and I will fetch him."

_Well, that went off without a hitch, _Midori thought with relief.

Soon, Neji came to the door and shut it, looking slightly annoyed with something or other.

"Um…is this a bad time?" Midori asked uncertainly.

"No," Neji answered bluntly. "I was just deciding to go out to eat anyway. What is it you wanted to talk about?"

"Do you know anything about any…suspicions going around here?"

"Why the sudden interest?"

"Well…" Midori said hesitantly. "I just want to keep on my toes in case there is. You know."

"Hm…well," Neji said as the two entered a restaurant. "I suppose I do."

"Table for two?" a man asked.

"Yes, thank you."

The two sat down at a table and a waiter came by with two glasses of water.

"Promise not to spread it around, though," Neji said once the waiter left.

"Okay," Midori nodded.

"I heard from one of the Main House members that several chuunin who were on guard duty a few nights ago were found unconscious."

Midori gasped. "So…there's an _infiltrator _in Konoha?"

"That may be," Neji said. "Of course, all of them are all right. I think they're still in the hospital, though. There's something wrong with their organs…at least that's what I heard. The only thing that is perplexing everyone who knows is why the chuunin weren't simply killed?"

"Yeah…that _is _interesting…" Midori said ponderingly. "The chuunin didn't happen to get a good look at the infiltrator, did they?"

"They say it was a hooded figure."

Midori thought for a while, trying to find a hooded figure in her sea of memories. _Hooded…hooded…hooded…_

"Do you want anything?"

Midori was instantly pulled out of her thoughts by Neji's voice. She glanced up at Neji then realized the waiter had come to take their order.

"Oh, um, you don't have to buy anything for me!" Midori said quickly. "It's all right!"

"Nonsense," Neji urged. "Pick whatever you like. I don't mind."

"Well…okay…" Midori said, scanning over the list. "I'll just have some miso then…"

"Coming right up!" the waiter said as he walked off.

"You really didn't have to do that…" Midori sighed.

Neji raised an eyebrow. "But I did, and what's done is done. You'll eat and you'll like it."

"Okay, then. Thanks," Midori giggled contentedly. _He sure is direct after his revelation…and is that a spark of humor?_

Neji gave a short, lopsided smile.

---

When Kyoko got home, she was bombarded with Temari and Kankuro. Not expecting this, she screamed loudly to the heavens.

"Stop screaming!" Kankuro ordered.

"Why'd you jump me like that?!" Kyoko demanded.

"We were just going to step out…" Temari said. "When you opened the door!"

"But I told you guys _not _to show yourselves in public!" Kyoko exclaimed.

"Yeah but Gaara's always a little testy if he stays in one place for such a long time," Temari explained nervously.

Gaara, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and said, "Welcome back."

"He looks fine to me!" Kyoko said, happy with the fact that Gaara had greeted her.

"_You _weren't here for the past few hours…" Kankuro said, annoyed.

Suddenly, Kyoko's expression was blank.

Temari was about to ask what was wrong when she was blown back by an explosion of sound.

"I JUST REMEMBERED!" Kyoko screamed.

"AIE! WHAT?!" Temari shouted in shock.

"Konoha got a message from Suna that they'd like to be allies a while ago and Konoha said yes!" Kyoko said, clapping her hands. "You guys can come out freely now!"

…

"And HOW long have you known this?" Temari asked, a vein pulsing off the side of her forehead.

"I dunno…a couple days maybe…more…"

"YOU IDIOT!" Kankuro shouted as he pushed past her roughly and out into the open, ready to run through the streets and breathe in the cool air. That is…he WOULD have if he hadn't flipped over the railing that lay outside the girls' apartment door.

"Argh!"

Temari shook her head and sighed.

"I can go out?" Gaara said.

"Of course!" Kyoko said gleefully. "I'll show you around Konoha, Gaara! You wanna come, Temari? Kankuro?"

"I'll pass…" Temari said as she walked out to help her brother. "You go on ahead."

"Okay then. C'mon, Gaara!"

Gaara silently followed Kyoko out of the apartment and blinked as the bright colors of Konoha hit his eyes.

Kyoko led Gaara to the first destination and said, "Gaara, this is the best shop in all of Konoha! Ichiraku Ramen Shop!" She took his hand and pulled him onto a seat.

"Ah, Kyoko-kun! Here for lunch? And who's…" Teuchi trailed off as he got a good look at Gaara. "This is the sand kid…" he said uncertainly.

"Yeah, that's right! Didn't you hear, jiisan? Suna and Konoha are allies now!"

"So we are…" Teuchi said, smiling. "All right then. What'll it be?"

"The usual," Kyoko said. "Same for Gaara too!"

"All right. Coming right up!"

When the food arrived, Gaara stared into the contents and said, "This is the food we ate before."

"Yep! Can't get enough! Itadakimasu!"

Gaara watched as the girl slurped her noodles noisily and dipped his chopsticks into his own. "…Itadakimasu." As he silently chewed the savory ramen, he thought back to when Kyoko's sensei came. He had heard everything from the other room since the small rooms were closely linked together with thin walls. He remembered that Shimizu Kyoko had had a friend long ago who she had lost. After that she didn't have any friends until Kawa Nami and Hikari Midori. Her parents didn't pay much attention to her and then she lost them.

He couldn't help but feel that Shimizu Kyoko…was just like him. Sure, she didn't have a demon sealed inside of her like him or Uzumaki Naruto, but she had lost the person that she had a bond with and she was left alone for some time. And yet, like Uzumaki Naruto, she could still keep on a smiling face.

_I want to be like that, _Gaara decided. _I want to be able to smile without worry or fear. _

"Um…you don't have to eat it if you don't want to, Gaara," Kyoko said sheepishly. "I shouldn't have brought you here. I know a lot of people don't like ramen everyday like me…"

"It's fine," Gaara said, realizing that he hadn't eaten any more ramen for some time. "I like it."

Kyoko grinned widely. "I do too. What else do you like?"

Gaara thought for a moment. "I don't know."

"You should know what you like," Kyoko said, pointing a finger in the air wisely. "If you know what you like, all the things you don't like don't matter!"

Gaara stared at her blankly for a while, pondering over this small phrase of wisdom. Perhaps she was right.

"Well finish up then, Gaara!" Kyoko advised. "Cuz you're in for the time of your life!"

---

_What's with this guy? _Nami thought. _He's not acting strange at _all_. He's acting like…a civilian…and _he's _a chuunin?! Hm…maybe he…_isn't _the imposter?_

Nami decided to just take a frontal approach and landed right in front of the poor boy. "Hi, Shinsetsu."

"AIE! NAMI-SAN!" Shinsetsu hollered as he fell over backwards.

Nami raised an eyebrow. _This guy is…_seriously _a _chuunin? "Say, you aren't an evil criminal-mastermind/Marieke-sensei imposter bent on finding out the secrets of my team, are you?"

"A whadda-whoda?"

"…Never mind."

Nami walked away, leaving a confused Shinsetsu standing in the bustling streets. She retreated to a nearby rooftop and leaned back with her hands clasped behind her head. _Okay, so maybe it's _not _him…But who else could it be? _

"CURSE YOU, MY TEMPORARY ETERNAL RIVAL!"

Nami jumped three feet in the air when she heard the piercing shout of a certain exuberant teacher, Konoha's very own Green Beast, Maito Gai. She gazed down below to see not only him but Asuma standing just a few ways away. Asuma had his fist thrust out in a casual manner and Gai was clutching his head which was turned upwards towards the sky.

"I was _sure _you were going to use Paper!"

"Better luck next time," Asuma said, annoyed by Gai's outburst. "Now can ya leave me alone?"

"Hmph. You're no Kakashi," Gai pouted.

Asuma rolled his eyes.

_He lost at Janken again… _Nami thought. Then an idea popped into her head. Smiling confidently, she hopped down and ran towards the two jounin. "Hey, Gejimayu-sensei! Asuma-sensei!"

Asuma and Gai turned their attention to Nami who said, "Have you noticed Marieke-sensei acting a little bit weird lately?"

"What do you mean?" Asuma said, raising an eyebrow. "She's not here. She went on a mission. Didn't you know?"

"Well yeah, but I saw her a few days ago."

"You did, did you?" Asuma said thoughtfully. "Well…"

"Look, there she is!" Nami gasped as she darted behind Asuma. "The imposter…" She narrowed her eyes. "And she's not wearing her ninja clothes and mask!"

"It's called being casual. You know she doesn't wear her mask all the time." Asuma stared at the woman walking past from across the street. Marieke was wearing a plain black dress with red designs and her face wasn't shrouded. He said, "You think Marieke has an imposter?"

"Of course! Is it not _obvious_?" Nami asked in a 'you're so blind' tone.

"And what do you think you're gonna do, trail her?"

"That is most un-youthful!" Gai declared. "Trailing your own sensei!"

"But that's the _problem_. I don't think she _is _my sensei!" Nami exclaimed.

Gai gasped. "_Not _Marieke?"

"Yeah…" Nami said, rolling her eyes. "Look, if you guys aren't gonna help—"

"Obviously we will!" Gai declared. "She is a fellow jounin and as long as there's a presumption that this is a fraud, it's worth looking into!"

"And because you have the hots for my sensei."

"Uh, no."

"Right…" Nami said. "Okay then, Gai-sensei! Since _you _insisted, you can go and mingle with the imposter to see what she's up to!"

"An excellent idea!" Gai agreed. "Kakashi is the one who knows Marieke best and I'm the one who knows Kakashi the best! Therefore, I should go expose the imposter!"

"Yeah, yeah, just go now!"

Gai bounded over to Marieke and stroke a pose. Then, seeing that Marieke was paying no attention to him, he cleared his throat loudly.

"Hm?" Marieke turned around and said, "Oh, Gai. Hello."

"Greetings, Marieke!" Gai said with a small wave. "Back from your mission, are you?"

"Ugh, don't remind me," Marieke sighed. "It was extremely uneventful. I have a feeling no one other country will decide to attack for a while…"

"Oh?"

"Anyway, I think I'd just take a break from so much work today," Marieke explained. "You know, relax after the mission."

"What a great idea!"

"So…what brings you here anyway?" Marieke asked.

"Oh, the new Icha Icha Paradise books are on sale," Gai answered quickly.

"…Huh…?"

"Kakashi's still in bed so I thought I'd pick some up for him!"

"Uh…right…"

"Yep!" Gai said cheerfully.

"One more question," Marieke said.

"What is it?"

"Why are Asuma and Nami spying on us?"

"_Spying_? There is no _spying _going around here!"

"All right then…" Marieke said nonchalantly. She turned around with a whole new expression and said, "Nami. Stop being so foolish and come out."

"Not on your life, imposter!" Nami hollered as she soared towards the woman anyway. "I'll show you to steal my sensei's appearance!"

Marieke stepped to the side and caught Nami by the back of her shirt with ease. She heaved a sigh and said, "You idiot. I can't believe you of all people were able to make it to the third exam with your caliber."

"WHAT?!" Nami exclaimed angrily.

"Nami, I don't think she's an imposter," Asuma said, clearly amused.

"B-But I was so sure!" Nami protested.

"So sure about what? Me being an imposter?" Marieke said incredulously.

"Yeah!"

"Stupid," Marieke said as she dropped Nami on the ground. "I am not an imposter."

"Can you prove that?"

Marieke raised an eyebrow and a vein pulsed in her head. "You and your insolence! You don't believe me, do you? Well then, I order you to run fifty laps around Konoha! NOW!"

Nami blinked. "Sensei, it _is _you!"

"I SAID FIFTY LAPS!"

Nami shot off.

"To think she thought I was an imposter," Marieke said to herself, shaking her head. "I _really _don't know how she got into the final rounds. I mean, really. She'd better not cut corners or else she'll do some hard-duty training. She's been slacking since I've been gone, obviously, so—" Marieke drawled on and on to herself as Asuma and Gai exchanged odd glances.

"She's talking t herself again," Gai whispered to Asuma.

"How perceptive of you."

"Asuma?"

"Huh?" Asuma looked up. "Oh, you're done?"

"Where would Nami get the idea of me being an imposter?"

Asuma noticed a hint of concern in Marieke's voice. "So you _don't _believe that she got the idea from out of no where?"

"Yeah."

"She claimed she saw you a few days ago."

"I see…" Marieke was silent for a moment, then she said, "Asuma, Gai, I think we'll go on a little unassigned mission…

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED. To tell you the truth, I wasn't really all that excited to put this one up (even though it was one of the most fun to write) because I didn't get as many reviews as I would've liked, but that's okay. I know people have lives and going on the computer every day would be kind of too much to ask. I'd like it if people reviewed the chapters they missed, but of course, you don't need to. Thanks for reading! Come back tomorrow!

R&R please!

-HM


	30. The Real Story

Thank you for the reviews, all! It's almost the end of school once again...which means there are FINALS. But don't worry (not that you probably were...), I'll keep my promise with the updates! Cuz that's my ninja way! XD Cheesy's my middle name...anyway, on to the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

"And this is the Yamanaka Flower Shop!" Kyoko said, leading Gaara into the store. "I know you probably don't have a wide variety in Suna, so how about we take a look?"

Gaara said nothing as Kyoko started gazing at a few roses.

"Welco—eek!" Ino sped over to Kyoko from behind and whispered anxiously, "Kyoko! What are you doing? Isn't that the scary Suna nin from the Chuunin Exams?!"

Said Suna nin was cocking his head as he stared at a bouquet of multiple floral arrangements. He didn't seem to hear Ino's hushed concerns. It was either that or he didn't decide to do anything about it.

"Oh, hi Ino," Kyoko said. "Yeah, it's Gaara. Isn't it great?"

"_Great_?" Ino said in disbelief. "He's so…so mean-looking and creepy! And why's he in Konoha still?"

"Well you know Konoha and Suna are allies," Kyoko said.

"Yeah, it was announced earlier but…it's still weird!"

Kyoko rolled her eyes at the blond girl. "You don't really know anything, Ino."

Ino's expression was one of anger. "What did you say?! I know everything there is about people!"

"Right…well, that's great," Kyoko said. "So that means you'd know that he's really not a bad person. He just needs a friend, Ino."

"Hmph…" Ino huffed, still mad at the comment Kyoko had made so heedlessly. However, Kyoko took no notice in the Yamanaka girl's annoyance and walked over to Gaara, smiling. "See anything you like?" she joked.

"We don't have flowers in Suna," Gaara said emotionlessly. "I've never seen so many."

"Yeah," Kyoko said. "Wanna take some home?"

Ino couldn't believe what she was seeing. _That…That sand kid and Kyoko are talking freely? That's so…_

"Ino, can you ring this up for me?" Kyoko asked Ino as she held out a bouquet of flowers.

"Uh…S-Sure," Ino said hesitantly.

Gaara watched as Kyoko paid for the flowers. '_If you know what you like, all the things you don't like don't matter'._

"C'mon, Gaara!" Kyoko said as she held the flowers to her chest and smiled cutely. "I wanna show you one more place before we go home!"

---

"Thanks for lunch," Midori said to Neji affectionately. "And the info."

"Don't mention it," Neji said. "It was only natural."

"Well, it's still nice," Midori smiled good-naturedly. "You know, you've really changed since your battle with Naruto-kun. I like it."

Neji averted his and said, "Er, well, um…he really opens one's eyes, you know?"

"Yeah." Midori's smile widened considerably as she noticed the Hyuuga's stutter. "Well, I've got to go."

"Oh. See you around," Neji said roughly.

_I hope so, _Midori thought.

---

"First there was Orochimaru's attack."

"Then there was the assault on the chuunin."

"And now there may be an infiltrator among us."

"Puzzling, indeed," Marieke said broodingly. "There are clearly connections however…who would decide to do such a thing?" She and the other male jounin were in a room where most of the jounin hung out for relaxation.

"Let's look at the possible culprits," Asuma, who was leaning against the wall, said. "It couldn't possibly be Orochimaru, seeing is that his arms are useless thanks to Hokage-sama."

"That is correct," Gai nodded. "And what a sacrifice Hokage-sama made!"

"It isn't any of the other countries trying to attack," Marieke said. "The teams sent to guard the borders haven't had any trouble at all. So that means the person was within the border."

Gai gasped. "That would only mean one thing! It's…_him_."

"Him?" Marieke and Asuma said in unison.

"Orochimaru's most trusted subordinate!"

"The boy…" Marieke said with realization.

"Yakushi Kabuto!"

"What could he possibly want?" Marieke said. "There is nothing left for him here!"

"Maybe…maybe not," Gai said gravely.

"What do you mean?"

"Marieke. Have you noticed anything strange about your students?" Gai asked.

"Everything," Marieke answered. "Why?"

"Some time ago, Itachi attacked. It was while you were away."

"_The _Uchiha Itachi? The one who killed his clan?"

"That's right. He was hiding himself at the sweet shop. Your students were there. And strangely enough, Kakashi heard them whispering. He didn't catch everything they said, but I think they knew he was there."

"And how do you know this? Kakashi's in the hospital," Asuma pointed out. "Have you been snooping in his diary again?"

"_NO!_" Gai said, though it was obvious he was lying.

"So then what's your point?" Marieke said, annoyed.

"My point is I _and _Kakashi are positive that there would be no way of them to know what Itachi looked like or who he is for that matter."

"So what you're saying is that the girls might…know more than they lead on?" Asuma tried.

"Precisely!"

"And know about what? Itachi's famous. They must have picked it up somewhere, sometime," Marieke said.

"I don't think so!" Gai said confidently.

"Well, whatever it is, I'm going to look into it," Marieke said. "And don't you dare do anything to my students, Gai. They're my responsibility, got it?"

"But of course!"

Marieke walked out of the room silently, leaving the two temporary "rivals" alone.

"I think there was a hint of anger in her voice, Asuma."

"Gee, you think, Gai?"

---

"That's the Hokage Mountain," Kyoko said, pointing at the great stone monument. "Isn't it great?"

Gaara said nothing as he stared at the stone faces of the former leaders of Konoha. Kyoko had taken him to a high place where he was able to see the majority of the village. From this spot, he was able to see the Hokage Mountain the best.

"You know, the Hokage protected our village with all he had," Kyoko said. "I really respect that. Can you imagine? Giving your life to protect the people you love and care about." Kyoko glanced over at the stoic boy.

"…The things you like…is what you protect, right?"

Kyoko giggled and said, "Of course! You got it!" _He's still trying to learn about simple things like this…It's so…cute._ Kyoko smiled merrily.

Gaara nodded. "I understand."

The two sat in silence. Kyoko didn't speak. She knew Gaara was thinking.

_To protect the things I like…and to know the things I like… _Gaara let a flow of images flash through his mind. _What I like are…_

_Ramen._

_Flowers._

_Temari and Kankuro._

_Uzumaki Naruto._

_And perhaps…_

"We should probably go now," Kyoko said, taking his hand lightheartedly. "We don't wanna keep everyone waiting at home, right?"

_Shimizu Kyoko. _

---

_Looks like my job here is finished, _Kabuto thought as he leapt through the trees. _I've got the information. There's no doubt the girls can see the future. So…I wonder what Orochimaru-sama wants to do about it? I wonder… _He smirked. _Those girls…are really stupid. They don't even know the difference between their sensei and a spy. _The dark clouds were starting to conceal the moon. Soon it would get darker, and Kabuto would arrive in Orochimaru's lair in a few days. As the clouds completely hid the moon from view, Kabuto disappeared into the night.

---THE NEXT DAY---

"Lee-kun, you're _still _training?" Midori asked in disbelief.

"Why not?" Lee asked as he punched a wooden pale multiple times with his right arm. "Nothing is stopping me!"

"That's what he always says," Tenten said, rolling her eyes. "Don't overdo it, okay, Lee?"

"You can't talk any sense into him," Neji stated. "He's a hopeless case."

"Probably…" Tenten sighed.

Midori smiled.

"What brings you here anyway, Midori?" Tenten asked. "Are you going to train with us?"

"Actually, I'm supposed to train with Marieke-sensei in a while," Midori said. "I just wanted to stop by. And…I couldn't really stand my teammates' arguing."

"It's better than them skipping along together hand-in-hand striking poses in public," Tenten muttered.

Midori laughed. "Maybe. But it's nicer if they don't argue. But really, can you imagine Kyoko and Nami actually acting friendly?"

_**Flash-Vision**_

"_**Good morning, Kyoko-chan!" **_

"_**Good morning, Nami-chan!" **_

"_**Do you want to train today, Kyoko-chan? Maybe this time I'll beat you!"**_

"_**Or maybe I'll beat you, Nami-chan!"**_

"_**We're both doing so well!"**_

"_**Yes, but your abilities are so much cooler!"**_

"_**Aw, I don't think so!"**_

"_**Oh, but they are!"**_

"_**No, no, they aren't!"**_

"_**I insist!"**_

_**End Flash-Vision **_

"Midori?" Neji said.

"Huh?" Midori blinked and looked over to Tenten who was shaking Lee crazily; her way of telling him to take a break.

"You had a dazed look on your face," Neji explained.

"Oh. Just daydreaming," Midori smiled. _Yeesh…what a scary though thought… _"Well, I think I should get going. See you later!"

"And you—bye, Midori!" Tenten said cheerfully. Then she turned back to Lee and said, "And you've got to take a break now and then to build up your strength! So knock it off with all the courage crap!"

"A-A-All r-r-right! J-Just s-stop sh-ake-ing m-me!"

"Ah. Good."

---

"Ooooooh _please _don't _gooooo_!" Kyoko wailed as she attempted to latch onto all three of the sand siblings. However, their back-gear made it impossible and she just settled on Gaara.

"Ky…oko…" Gaara said with difficulty.

"Come on," Kankuro said, rolling his eyes. "It was inevitable anyway. We're not _staying _here." _How the heck's she able to latch onto him like that _with _his gourd? Gaara's not even _doing _anything…_

"WHHHHHYYYYYYYYY!" Kyoko whined.

"You're pathetic," Nami scoffed. "You've been whining all day. No wonder they wanna leave!"

"SHUT UUUUUUPPP!" Kyoko cried.

Temari covered her ears and winced. "I-It's okay! It's not like we're never coming back!" _Geez, can't _anything _shut this girl up?!_

"You're coming back?!" Kyoko said, her face suddenly becoming joyful.

_Well _that _answers my question. _"Sure, sure, just keep it down," Temari sighed as she stared at the flowers that Kyoko and Gaara had brought back from their trip.

_**Flashback**_

"_**We're back!" **_

"_**That sure took a while, where'd you go anyway?" Kankuro asked.**_

"_**Everywhere!" Kyoko said with a giggle. **_

"_**Hey…are those **_**flowers**_**?" Temari questioned, eyes wide.**_

"_**Yeah! Gaara picked them out himself!"**_

_**Kankuro snorted, trying to cover a laugh. However, his snickering had turned into full-out laughing. "Gaara…picked out…flowers?! HAHAHAHA!"**_

_**Gaara gave Kankuro a glare and handed the colorful bouquet to Temari. "Here. You hold them."**_

"_**Uh…okay…" Temari said uncertainly. **_

"_**AHAHAHAHA!"**_

_**BONK!**_

"_**OW!"**_

"_**Shut up, Kankuro." **_

_**End Flashback **_

She still couldn't figure out _why _her youngest brother had gotten the bouquet and then in a way _given _it to her, but she chose to give up on the logic of the event. Gaara had been acting strange ever since the Uzumaki boy's battle, and even stranger when they chose to stay in Konoha for a while to recuperate. Temari even felt like they had stayed longer than they needed to as if neglecting to go back to Suna. The oldest sibling figured that Gaara had his moments sometime like everyone else…They just hadn't popped up yet until now. It didn't matter too much to her anyway now, and the flowers _were _pretty…

"YAY!"

Temari smiled, despite her annoyance of Kyoko's loud and cheerful voice. "All right, we'll see you later. Come on, guys." She and Kankuro started to walk away, but Gaara stayed in place.

Kyoko looked at the boy in puzzlement and said, "Gaara?"

"…Thank you," he said simply. Then he turned and followed his siblings.

Kyoko smiled warmly.

Temari peered at her brother from the corner of her eye as they walked and exchanged confused glances with Kankuro. _Flowers…and now this? Gaara…_

_It looks like Gaara's beginning to open up his emotions, _Kankuro thought. _And to think…maybe that weird girl has something to do with it? We should come here more often. It'd be fun to watch…_

"Byeeeee!" Kyoko waved.

Nami turned to Kyoko and looked at her intensely.

"…What?" Kyoko asked tentatively.

"What the heck did you do to the poor guy?! Brainwash him?!" Nami shouted as soon as the siblings were out of sight.

"_No_!" Kyoko said indignantly. "What's wrong with you?! Can't Gaara like me for who I am without brainwashing?!"

"No!"

"Well I bet you're just jealous then!"

"Of what?!"

"Keep it down, you two," Midori said as she walked towards her friends while rolling her eyes. "I'm sure you were able to melt his heart on your own, Kyoko. Heehee…"

"Oh yeah?! Then why are you giggling?!"

"I am not!" Midori said, suppressing a smile without success. "I just think its nice Gaara-san is showing some signs of emotion."

"I do too," Kyoko said, going from angry to cheerful. "What makes it better is that he's showing emotion after hanging out with _me_."

"Don't get too cocky," Midori warned.

"Tch. Like _she _did anything anyway. Otouto did it," Nami said stubbornly.

"I did it too!" Kyoko pouted.

"Anyway, what time did sensei want us to train today?" Nami asked.

"We should head off in a couple of hours," Midori said. "We still have plenty of time."

"Good," Nami said. "I don't wanna run laps so early…"

"Speaking of laps, didja have fun yesterday?" Kyoko smirked. "Running fifty around Konoha?"

"Pft. Yeah, I had _loads _of fun while _you _were doing who-knows-what with Gaara and _you _were flirting with Neji."

"WHAT?!" Kyoko and Midori shrieked.

"I _told _you I was just getting information from him!" Midori argued as her face flushed red.

"Yeah right."

---

"Gai is paranoid. How many times has he been right anyway?"Marieke said quietly to herself. "Seeing the future is nonsense. My girls are just average kunoichi—no! Below average! But…"Marieke shook her head. "No, no, no! I will _not _think that! The girls don't know anything more than they should! They're ordinary kunoichi!" Suddenly, she remembered what she had heard a long time ago…the first time she met the girls.

_**Flashback**_

"_**Mr. Sandman…bring me the guy…with a love kanji above his left eye…"**_

"_**Kyoko, can you…not do that?" Midori said quietly.**_

"_**Give him two lips like roses and clover…and tell him that his lonely night are over…" **_

"_**ARGH! Will you **__**please **__**shut **__**up**__**?" Nami shouted. "You're Gaara worshipping is driving me crazy!"**_

_**Kyoko stuck her tongue at Nami. "It's a free country. It's not **__**my **__**fault that you don't have anyone to love."**_

"_**Uh guys…" Midori stepped in front of Kyoko in case Nami felt the urge to kill.**_

"_**He doesn't **__**love **__**you, he has no idea you even exist, so give it up!" Nami said irritably.**_

_**Flashback**_

Marieke gasped. "On that day of the test…they were talking about Sabaku no Gaara! How would they know Gaara before he even came? Gai…said…and Kakashi was…"

"Good morning, sensei!"

Marieke whirled around to see her students standing behind her.

"Something wrong, Marieke-sensei?" Midori asked with concern.

"Um…"

"We have something to tell you, sensei," Kyoko said.

"It's really important," Nami added.

Marieke looked at her students with puzzlement. "…What is it?"

"We haven't been…completely truthful with you," Midori said. "On the day that you came to our home, we—"

"Came to your home?" Marieke said confusedly. "I never…" She gasped. "Kabuto…"

"Kabuto?" Kyoko cocked her head. "What?"

"Girls, what did you tell me when you saw me at your house?"

"Um…we told you about our pasts," Midori said. "But that's not the point. They weren't actually—"

"Anything else?!"

"No," Midori said, taken aback from her sensei's sudden anxiety. "What's wrong?"

"Er…nothing," Marieke said. "I just remembered something. Um, go on."

"Well, we…how can I put this? Um…um…"

"Just spit it out, Midori!" Nami said, annoyed. "We come from a different universe!"

Marieke was silent. "So that's how you know so much…" Marieke whispered.

"What are you talking about? You believe us?" Kyoko said, surprised.

"And what's more, you knew?" Midori questioned.

"Not really," Marieke said. "I heard from somewhere that you girls seemed to know about Itachi some time ago."

Nami and Kyoko tensed. They were both thinking the same thing.

_He _did _hear us!_

"What?" Midori said with confusion.

"Eh…the thing is, Midori-chan…"

_Uh oh, there's the '-chan', _Midori thought with ambiguity.

"We saw Itachi in the sweet shop," Kyoko said sheepishly. "And Kakashi was there so I guess he overheard…"

"That's because you were talking too loud."

"Hey, don't try to pin this one on me!"

Midori slapped her forehead. "So then…why didn't you say anything, sensei?" Midori asked Marieke.

"I didn't think it was true before," Marieke admitted. "And it was only yesterday that I found out. Of course, you girls always _did _seem strange…your knowledge was odd…"

"Thanks a lot," Nami mumbled.

"I still don't understand completely, though," Marieke said. "You're from a different world, so how exactly do you know about this world?"

"It's kind of complicated," Midori began. "In our world…people _watch _this world. Sort of."

"Wha…?"

"Never mind," Midori shook her head. "It doesn't matter if you understand it or not. It only matters if you keep it a secret. So…_will _you keep it a secret?"

"Secret…"

"Only you and Iruka-sensei know," Midori explained. "Please don't spread it around. It would mess up a lot of things, who knows what would happen?"

"Wait, Iruka knows about this? And why did you tell me if you wanted it a secret?"

"Because we think you're trustworthy enough to know," Nami said. "Duh. You're our sensei."

Marieke, although confused, smiled beneath her mask. "All right then. I will keep it a secret."

"We knew you would," Kyoko grinned.

"But girls, you must stay on your toes," Marieke warned. "You must know that I won't be able to keep it a secret if you get into any lethal danger."

"Like what?" Nami asked.

"We also had suspicions that Orochimaru were after you."

"No way! He was after Sasgay, right?" Nami said.

"Sasgay—er, Sasuke may not be the only target as of now," Marieke said. "Just be careful. I'm sure Orochimaru has or will be receiving the information of you all soon. If worst comes to worst, I promise to protect you all with my life."

"That's so dramatic, sensei," Kyoko chuckled.

"Thank you…" Midori smiled.

"Hmph. You _do _care," Nami said.

"Now that that's done and done…ten laps around the training ground!"

"WHA?!"

"You must sharpen your perceptive skills! I know you've been slacking off since I left for my extended mission! You didn't even realize who the perpetrator in Konoha was!"

"So there _was _an imposter!" Nami exclaimed. "I knew it! Why do I have to run more?!"

"Because I said so!"

"But what does running have to do with sharpening our perception?!" Midori protested.

"To sharpen the mind you must sharpen the body! Have I not taught you anything?! MOVE!"

"Yes ma'am!"

Marieke watched her students race around the training grounds, one after another. She smiled fondly and whispered, "Those girls are really…out of this world."

After training, the girls walked home in sweat and great spirits. Not only were they back in action, but Marieke had promised to trust their judgment and not tell anyone about their secret.

"That's so mean…" Kyoko mumbled. "And right after we had a teacher/student moment too…sensei's so bipolar…"

"Look who's talking," Nami joked.

"She's really okay with it," Midori said happily. "I don't know about you guys, but I feel like a boulder's been lifted from my shoulders!"

"That's because you're incapable of lying," Kyoko said, rolling her eyes.

"Not true!"

"Pretty much," Kyoko smirked.

"Guys, I was thinking. What if she told Kakashi?" Nami wondered suspiciously. "After all, it was _him _who figured out we were up to something."

"Oh come on, have a little faith in our sensei," Midori said. "You know she keeps her promises."

"Another weakness," Kyoko stated.

"Are you done belittling me?!"

Kyoko giggled.

"The one time _I'm _serious and you guys _aren't_?" Nami said angrily.

"You're just mad because sensei made you run laps around Konoha," Kyoko grinned.

Nami's face flushed and she crossed her arms, pouting.

"Right on the dot."

"Shut up."

---

"Well, Marieke?" Asuma said as he peered over at the woman who had appeared. "Did you find anything about them?"

"Yes," Marieke answered. "They're true kunoichi and loyal citizens of Konoha."

Asuma smiled. "I see. What did you talk about?"

"Now that's between me and my students," Marieke said, putting a finger to her lips. "But maybe someday you'll find out."

Asuma held his cigarette and blew a clear line of smoke from his mouth. "Sure."

"BANZAI!"

"ARGH!"

Marieke blinked as Gai danced on top of Asuma victoriously. "Gai…?"

"I caught you unaware, temporary eternal rival of mine! That means I'm ahead of you!"

"I am _not _your temporary eternal rival! And get off me!"

"What do you mean?! You agreed! You said 'I'll fill in for Kakashi'!"

"NO I DIDN'T! I meant for his mission!"

Marieke shook her head. "Hopeless."

* * *

Well, well, well. (silence) Well. It looks likes I've approached the end of THIS chapter. I hate it when I have to smush chapters together to make them longer, but it was for the best! Yeah. So R&R please!

-HM


	31. Sadness, Jealousy, and Insanity

This one's a little shorter than the others. I'm sorry! I tried to make it longer but I couldn't cuz I suck like that. Oh well...

On a more HAPPIER note..150 REVIEWS! YAY! 50 more and I'm to 200! THANK YOU MY KIND REVIEWERS!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

---Some Days Later---

"Good morning, Shikamaru-kun, Nara-san," Midori said as she saw father and son walking towards the administration building.

"'Mornin', Midori," Shikamaru said, though he didn't exactly look thrilled.

"What's wrong?" Midori asked, cocking her head.

"Aw, he's just embarrassed because he's getting his—"

"_Dad_!" Shikamaru protested.

Midori smiled. "You can tell me."

Shikamaru groaned and rubbed the back of his head in annoyance. "Fine. If you _have _to know, I'm getting my chuunin vest…"

"Really?!" Midori said excitedly. "Congratulations!"

"Yeah, yeah, don't spread it around," Shikamaru said.

"Oh, I won't," Midori said. "That's great! I don't think Nami or Kyoko got any word of becoming chuunin yet…"

Shikamaru shrugged. "There's always next year."

"Exactly," Midori agreed. "Well, I don't want you to be late because of me. See you later, okay?"

"Yeah."

Midori let the two Naras pass and continued on her way.

---

"Did you hear, Kyoko-kun?" Teuchi asked as he peered over at his frequent customer. "The great Tsunade-sama is back in Konoha!"

"Tsunade-sama?" Kyoko said through a full mouth. She gulped and said, "One of the Legendary Sannin?!"

"Yup," Teuchi nodded. "Word on the street is that she's gonna be the new Hokage!"

"That's awesome!" Kyoko exclaimed whole-heartedly. She downed the rest of her ramen and said, "I've gotta check it out. See you later, jiisan!"

---

"Why are you brooding over him so much anyway?" Nami asked. "It's not like he's in pain or anything."

Sakura sighed irritably. "Look, you don't care about Sasuke-kun, so why did you come?"

"That's a good question," Nami said. "I was just wondering if he was gonna stop being a wuss and get out of that state."

"Stop insulting him!" Sakura shouted angrily. "You always talk so big and put Sasuke-kun down! He's been through more than you've ever been, so shut up and leave!"

Nami stared at Sakura with a straight face. "Fine then. It looks like you've grown some backbone after all." She stood up and started to leave when she was blocked by a small group in the doorway. Her eyes widened. "Naruto?"

"Naruto!" Sakura said, surprised.

"Hey Sakura-chan! Nami!" Naruto grinned.

"You're back. And with other people too," Nami observed as she stared up at the adults with Naruto.

"Yeah!" Naruto said triumphantly. "Sakura-chan, Sasuke's gonna be okay now! She's a doctor! She'll fix him up!"

Sakura's shocked expression melted down to a warm smile. "Naruto…"

Naruto grinned.

_Whoa…it's the Legendary Sannin Tsunade… _Nami thought as she watched Tsunade place her hand on Sasuke's bare forehead.

"He'll wake up soon," Tsunade said with a smile.

---

"Lee, you really shouldn't push yourself all the time!" Tenten scolded. "You've been walking on a crutch for days, no, weeks! So stop trying to train! Didn't I warn you you'd get hurt?!"

"Sorry, Tenten," Lee sighed. "But it was only a bump…"

"Just a bump?! You were knocked out cold!"

"Its okay, Lee-kun," Midori said, patting him on the back. "You're just trying to prove yourself, we respect that."

"He doesn't have to try to kill himself for respect," Tenten mumbled.

"Lee!"

The trio turned around just in time to see Gai's sudden appearance.

"Gai-sensei!" Lee exclaimed.

"Tsunade-sama has come to do a check up on you! Let's go!"

"Tsunade-sama?! Are you serious?!" Tenten gasped. "I need to tell Neji! Oh, and good luck, Lee!" With that, Tenten ran off.

"May I come with you, Gai-sensei?" Midori asked.

"But of course!" Gai nodded. "We will need many people to celebrate after Tsunade-sama tells us she can do the operation! But there's no time to waste, so let's get a move on!"

---

"So, Otouto, have fun on your mission?" Nami asked as she and Naruto walked through Konoha. The sun was shining brightly though the streets weren't crowded.

"Oh yeah," Naruto nodded, grinning toothily. "I mastered a really cool technique! I should show it to you. It'll blow ya away!"

"Oh really?" Nami said. She bonked him on the head lightly. "Don't get so smug. You're not the only one who's been training. Everyone's a lot stronger. Well, everyone except for Sasgay."

Naruto shrugged. He had learned before not to trust Nami's judgment on Sasuke's abilities, but he'd just have to see for himself someday…that is, after Sasuke fully recovered.

"So let's do it."

"Huh?"

"Let's fight! See how much you've grown!"

"H-Hold on!" Naruto protested. "I don't wanna fight you!"

"Why not?"

"You're…well, you're a girl…"

"_So_?" Nami said, offended. "You don't think I can defeat you?"

"We—wah!" Naruto dodged a swift punch from Nami. "Hey! Neechan! What's _that_ all about?!"

"C'mon, I haven't had any action for_ever_! Let's spar!"

"EH! Not _here_!"

"Oh. Right. Fine then," Nami said, looking around the civilian area. "Let's go to the training grounds then!"

"But I'm _hungry…_" Naruto groaned as his stomach growled beneath his jacket.

Nami rolled her eyes. "_Fine_. We'll eat ramen then!"

"Cool. Got any cash? Ero-Sennin spent all mine…"

"Well, no, not really," Nami said sheepishly.

Naruto stared at her.

"Hey, is that Iruka-sensei?"

"Iruka-sensei?!" Naruto whirled around and sure enough the academy teacher was sitting with his back turned to the two in the Ichiraku Ramen Shop. Naruto sped over to greet his old teacher and was quickly followed by Nami.

"Huh? Naruto! You're back!" Iruka said cheerfully. "Here, let me buy you some ramen!"

"Well, if you insist," Naruto grinned.

"You too, Nami," Iruka said as he gestured towards Teuchi.

"Thanks!"

"So tell me everything," Iruka said to Naruto. "How was it traveling with the one of the great Legendary Sannin?"

"Eh…it was okay, I guess. But I learned this awesome new technique! I'll totally kick butt with it on new missions! Especially once I get to chuunin!"

"Oh…well…um…"

"Huh?" Naruto said, confused.

"Er…Naruto! Did you know Shikamaru reached the chuunin level?" Iruka said hastily.

"Shikamaru?!" Naruto and Nami exclaimed.

"How'd _Shikamaru _become a chuunin?!" Naruto demanded.

Iruka sighed. "You know that even if you don't win your match, you can still achieve the level of chuunin. He was rated high because of his intelligence during his battle."

Nami scoffed. "Intelligence…_whatever_."

"Was there anyone else?" Naruto asked uncertainly.

"No, he was the only one," Iruka said quietly.

"Oh…" Naruto said.

"Dang it, Shikamaru," Nami muttered under her breath.

"Well, there's always next exam, right?" Iruka tried. He smiled and touched his hitai-ate instinctively. "And besides…you've grown a great deal since the first time you wanted to wear this…"

"Really? You think so?" Naruto said, putting a hand to his own. "The one you gave me fits me really well!"

Nami rolled her eyes and bopped Naruto lightly on the forehead. "Hey, you're still not that awesome yet."

"She's right, you still have a long way to go," Iruka laughed.

"Yeah!" Naruto said confidently. "And with my new jutsu, I'll be one step closer to Hokage!"

"Naruto…Nami…" Iruka said seriously. "You know, its kind of a difficult time for us now. We've lost the Sandaime Hokage along with other shinobi, nearly half our forces are gone. However, we still are required to complete all the missions requested of us like before.

"Huh? If we don't have the people to complete the missions, why can't we just say no?" Naruto asked.

"We can't do that!" Iruka said. "See, we've been keeping the balance of power with the other nations steady with other village's forces. If we turn down some missions, it's like broadcasting that our village is weak. That's why even the academy's closed. I have to complete missions now too. I also heard Kakashi's already been assigned a missions even though he's just recovering. Marieke's also on a mission too, right after her recent B-Rank."

"That sucks," Naruto and Nami said in unison.

"Hey, you two have to do your share too," Iruka said. "You're ninja of this village."

"Yep," Naruto nodded. "But first thing's first…I have to eat!"

"Heh…you haven't changed," Iruka said, ruffling Naruto's hair.

"You're wrong, sensei," Nami sighed, resting her chin on her palm. "He's a lot slower at eating now. Let's see the technique already!"

Naruto smirked smugly. "You know what? I think I'll show you all my technique at once!"

"All?" Nami repeated.

"Yeah! You, Sasuke, and Sakura-chan! Let's go to the hospital now!"

"Aw, again?" Nami groaned.

"C'mon, neechan!" Naruto urged. "If you don't wanna go, that's okay, but I wanna see my friends!"

"Yeah, okay, I'll go."

Iruka smiled. _Although they don't show it…both Naruto and Nami probably care a lot about Sasuke's safety._

"But if that Sasgay starts having 'pains' again or whatever, I'm out."

_Well…Naruto anyway. _

---

"Eh…I don't know where Tsunade-sama is…" Kyoko muttered stiffly. "What a waste…"

"Hello, Kyoko!"

"Huh? Oh, hi sensei," Kyoko waved. "Didja know the Legendary Sannin Tsunade-sama's here in Konoha?"

"Oh, who doesn't?" Marieke said. "I was actually sent to help her set into her new office."

"Really?" Kyoko said. "Sucks for you."

Marieke poked Kyoko squarely in the forehead.

"Ow!" Kyoko rubbed her forehead gingerly.

"It is an honor," Marieke said highly.

"Right…"

"Hm?" Marieke said as a bird landed on her shoulder. "Ugh…what now? A different mission?"

Kyoko looked at her sensei questioningly.

"Eh…sorry, Kyoko, but could you fill in for me with Tsunade-sama? I have to go now."

"Huh? Really?" Kyoko said in surprise. "Okay!"

"Good. See you later."

---

_They've been in there for such a long time…_ Midori thought. She was sitting in the hallway, waiting for Lee and Gai to come out from the checkup. Tsunade had only wanted the duo to come in, and she didn't protest against the Sannin, now Godaime Hokage. She didn't mind either, but the wait was getting a little longer than she expected. Just as she stood up to stretch a little, the door opened and Lee, with his crutch, started walking out.

"Lee-kun!" Midori said, smiling. "How…" Then she saw the look on his face as he stopped to look at her. She caught a crestfallen expression before his attempt at a smile.

"Hi, Midori-chan."

"Lee-kun…are you okay?" Midori asked timidly as she put a hand on his shoulder.

"No…not really." Lee brushed her hand off and slowly walked towards the exit without another word.

Gai came out of the room looking grave.

"Gai-sensei…" Midori said quietly.

Gai's gaze was on Lee who had just gotten out of sight. "Lee…may not be able to continue being a shinobi."

Midori's eyes widened. "Oh no…Poor Lee-kun…Being a shinobi…is his _life. _How can he quit?"

"I don't think he will," Gai said softly.

---

"Want some apples, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked cheerfully.

Sasuke was silent.

"Here…" Sakura said, moving the plate of neatly-cut apples towards the Uchiha.

Sakura let out a short scream as Sasuke's hand collided with the plate. Before she knew it, her plate had been freed from her hands and clattered on the floor.

"Sasuke-kun…?" Sakura said timidly.

"Yo, Uchiha."

Sasuke's glare turned towards Nami who was standing in the doorway with an apple she had caught in her hand. "Woke up on the wrong side of the bed, did you?" Nami said aloofly as she bit into the apple. "If I were you, I would've been grateful that Sakura cut you these and actually had the patience to stay with someone like you. What's the matter, huh? Did you revive on the wrong side of the bed or something?"

"Hm?" Naruto came from behind Nami and Sasuke's expression turned surprised. He quickly narrowed his eyes, a murderous look on his face.

"W…what?" Naruto said uncertainly. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Nami looked from Naruto's confused face to Sasuke's dangerous one, then at Sakura who looked worried.

"Hey, Naruto…" Sasuke said.

"What?"

"Fight me."

Sakura gasped.

"Huh? What do you mean? You're still recovering," Naruto said densely.

"Shut up and fight me!" Sasuke activated his Sharingan hazardously and everyone else in the room tensed. He was serious.

"Sasuke…kun…?" Sakura said nervously.

"You idiot!" Nami shouted. "Don't go picking fights after you've recovered! Are you _trying _to get yourself kill—"

"You think that woman _helped _me?" Sasuke said arrogantly. "That foolish Godaime or whoever…butting into other people's business!"

"What?!" Naruto growled.

Sasuke stood up to face Naruto and stared into the Kyuubi-boy's eyes with hatred. Naruto stared right back, matching his gaze.

"Sasuke-kun, what's wrong with you?! Naruto, stop him!" Sakura pleaded.

"Actually…" Naruto said with a self-assured smirk, "I was kind of thinking about it too…"

"H-Hey…guys…" Sakura said, putting on a joking smile, "Stop kidding around like that…cut it out…o-okay?"

"Follow me," Sasuke said, completely ignoring Sakura, he gestured towards the door with his head.

"Hmph," Naruto grimaced.

_He's actually gonna do it, _Nami realized. _It's finally here…the battle between the two rivals! _

* * *

DUN DUN DUN. Not too much time to say anything here, so just R&R please! It's a busy, busy week! Later!

-HM


	32. Confrontment with the Sound

Thanks for the reviews! Things start to get a bit complicated around this part of the story and I need a lot of reference from the manga, so sorry if I screw anything up...(sheepish grin) Here's the chapter! It's kind of shorter than the others I think...but it's decent. You know how life is. BUSY.

Whoohoo! Nami's B-day today! Let's all give a round of applause! (crickets chirp) Eh...I _said _LET'S ALL GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE! (people clap loudly) That's better. Happy B-day, Nami!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

"This isn't good…" Sakura muttered as she watched the battle with bated breath. "This isn't good…this isn't good…"

Nami shielded her face from the heat of the fire as Sasuke performed "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu" in midair. A ball of fire gushed in the place of the mass of Narutos that filled the "battle field". As the fire cleared, Nami noticed two Narutos in the place of tens performing some sort of technique. Sasuke seemed to notice this as well, and his eyes widened in mystification.

_Could it be…? _Nami thought. "Otouto!"

Sasuke grimaced and held out his hand, blue chakra forming as he started to fall towards Naruto. "Chidori!"

"Stop…" Sakura whispered, sweat running down her face. "You two…stop…"

Naruto and Sasuke were shortening the distance between them rapidly.

"STOP!"

"Sakura!" Nami called as Sakura shot off towards her teammates instantly. _That idiot! _"Don't get involved, stupid!" She cursed under her breath and ran after Sakura.

"Both of you! Stand down!" Sakura screamed uncontrollably.

"Stupid! _You _stand down!" Nami hollered as she tackled Sakura to the ground before she could get pierced by Chidori or Rasengan. As she and Sakura hit the ground, Nami realized there was a pair of feet inches in front of them. Her gaze slowly moved upwards, recognizing the silver hair and mask. "Kakashi-sensei…"

Kakashi thrust both boys to the side before their attacks could hit and the rivals went flying, forcing them to hit two separate water tanks. "Hey! You two! What're you doing, fighting on top of a hospital?!" _Naruto…there's no doubt about it…that was the Rasengan he just used…_

Once the two removed their hands, water started squirting out simultaneously and the boys got drenched.

Nami stood up and brushed herself off. "Hmph. What a waste…" she said with disappointment. She glanced at Sakura who was watching Kakashi lecture Sasuke. "What, not even a thank you?"

"Oh, um, thanks," Sakura said speedily, though it was obvious she was listening to Kakashi.

Nami rolled her eyes. _Last time I put my life on the line for her. _

"You shouldn't have used Chidori against your own teammate," Kakashi said to Sasuke as he sat on the water tank which was quickly losing water, the hole in the structure enlarging. "Were you…trying to _kill _Naruto?"

Nami narrowed her eyes. "Uchiha…"

Sasuke scowled and flipped over the chain-link fence, ignoring Kakashi. He glanced upwards and his eyes widened.

Nami appeared next to him in a second and gaped. "Holy crackers and caviar! That's a big-ass hole!"

The Uchiha chose to ignore her comment and punched the wall, earning Nami's attention for a split second. _Uchiha's pissed now…he knows Otouto's a stronger. _She turned towards Naruto. _A _lot _stronger…_ She clenched her fist and closed her eyes. _I want to learn a new technique too…_

---

"Tsunade-sama, you here?" Kyoko called as she poked her head into a room. "GAH!"

"ARGH!"

Glass shattered as Tsunade hurled a desk out the window. Kyoko sweat dropped as Tsunade dusted her hands off by clapping them vertically several times. "There! _Now _there's room to move things!" She noticed Kyoko standing in the doorway and said, "Who are you?"

"I'm Shimizu Kyoko, ma'am!" Kyoko said, saluting Tsunade. "And my sensei was supposed to help you out with this um…moving in and she had to go do another mission so she put me in her place!"

Tsunade blinked and said, "Okay…"

"Tsunade-sama!" a voice shrieked.

Kyoko flinched as a woman appeared behind her, panting like a dog. "Tsunade-sama! What was that—EEK! Why's the window broken?!"

"Oh. Shizune," Tsunade said flamboyantly. "A girl's come to help us."

"I noticed," Shizune said, looking down at Kyoko. "Hello, there. I'm Shizune."

"I'm Shimizu Kyoko," Kyoko greeted.

"Well, Kyoko-kun, you can help us by starting to clean up the mess that Tsunade-sama made…" Shizune sighed. "She's quite a slob."

Tsunade crossed her arms and harrumphed.

"Eh…heh…" Kyoko twitched as Shizune handed her a broom. _This…really wasn't what I had in mind… _

After sufficiently sweeping the room multiple times, Izumo and Kotetsu arrived, lugging Tsunade's semi-dirty desk into the room while huffing and puffing as if they had to walk an endless flight of stairs.

"There you two are," Tsunade said.

"Here's…that…desk…Tsu…nade…-sama…" Kotetsu gasped as he and Izumo set the desk down.

"Geez, that thing's heavier than it looks!" Izumo whined.

"Good. Move it here."

Kyoko sweat dropped once again as the two chuunin struggled to follow the new Hokage's orders.

---

_There he is, _Midori thought as she spotted Lee standing on a bridge, dropping flower petals into the water. "Lee-kun?"

Lee looked up and dropped the flower, immediately smiling. "Hello again, Midori-chan. Sorry for leaving so early from—"

"It's okay," Midori interrupted. "Lee-kun, are you going to take the operation?"

"Tsunade-sama said that…" Lee said quietly. "That there's a large percentage that the operation would fail…and if it did…" He trailed off, looking distantly into the water, watching the flower petals slowly drift away. His expression was crestfallen, and Midori felt as sympathetic as she had ever felt before. Lee had always been the one with a hard drive and the worst luck in her opinion. He was the one who gave people the courage to push themselves to their best, and he had always pushed himself the hardest. But of course, that was his downfall…

"Are you going to give up being a ninja?" Midori asked straight-forwardly. "All your life's work and…the admiration you built up in other people?"

Lee looked at her sadly. "I don't know…"

"Well…what are you going to do then?"

"I don't know…"

Midori smiled half-heartedly. "Well, whatever you decide…just make sure you'll be happy. I'd hate to see you throw your life away…" She walked off, leaving the taijutsu master to his thoughts. _Throw his life away…_ Midori thought as she looked back silently. _That's the problem…which choice represents his life? His goal and dreams…or…_ Midori shook her head. _Whatever makes you happy, Lee-kun._

---

"Dang! Where's sensei when I need her?" Nami pouted as she looked around. She searched high and low for her sensei since she saw Naruto and Sasuke's interrupted battle. She grimaced. _I'm gonna fall behind Otouto and maybe even _Sasgay _at this rate… _Looking up, she noticed the sky was dark, signaling that it was now night time. She sighed, figuring that she'd track down her sensei the next day and started to walk home. It wasn't long until she noticed a figure on a rooftop. _What the…? A dead person? _

Hopping onto the rooftop gracefully, Nami caught the attention of the person.

"What're _you _doing here?" Sasuke spat.

Nami narrowed her eyes. "That's my line. What are _you _doing here?"

"That's none of your business," Sasuke said as he stood up with difficulty.

"What's the matter, Uchiha? How'd you get so beat up?" Nami sneered.

"I_ said _it's none of your _business_," Sasuke said sharply. "Leave me alone." With that, he disappeared.

Nami frowned. _He's up to something…I know it… _While still pondering over Sasuke's actions, she found herself at home. When she opened the door, she saw Midori putting an icepack over Kyoko's leg which was propped up on a low stool. Kyoko groaned.

"Man, what happened to you?"

"Battle-related accident," Kyoko said quickly.

"Oh."

Midori rolled her eyes. "Tsunade-sama was having her deliver some things for her and then she got made for some reason or other, threw a chair out the window, and Kyoko didn't get out of the way in time."

"_Oh_." Nami started snickering.

"Thanks a lot, Midori," Kyoko groaned.

"Couldn't you just have _dodged_ it if you're such a good ninja?" Nami laughed.

"Not with _boxes _in my hands!" Kyoko said angrily.

"I, for one didn't know Tsunade-sama threw so many tantrums so easily…" Midori said.

"Yeah, well, she _does_," Kyoko mumbled. "I think I'm gonna hit the sack early today…" She attempted to get up, but moaned and sat back down. "And…sleep here…"

"Psh, I bet it's not even broken," Nami said.

"It's not," Midori piped.

"Again, you're not helping," Kyoko said.

Midori smiled innocently.

Kyoko's stomach grumbled. "Ugh…I almost forgot…I didn't eat _anything _since morning!"

"Well don't look at me," Nami said as she started towards her room. "I'm not getting you anything."

"I wasn't _expecting _it or anything!" Kyoko called, annoyed.

"Don't worry, Kyoko," Midori said as she got up. "I'll go get you something to eat. You must've had a hard day, aiding Tsunade-sama and all." She grabbed a jacket and waved shortly. "I'll be back soon."

"Thanks."

Knowing that Kyoko's favorite food was ramen, Midori checked to see if Ichiraku was still open. She saw Teuchi about to close the shop up for the night and rushed over.

"Teuchi-jiisan!" Midori called. "Um, if it's not too much trouble, could you get me an order of ramen to-go?"

"Of course!" Teuchi said. "You and your friends are always welcome!"

Midori smiled and thanked the man.

"Midori-chan, any news about Kyoko's potential you-know-what?" Ayame asked interestedly. "I'm really curious! She and a scary-looking boy from Suna came here a few days ago. Was that the special guest she was talking about?"

"Special guest?" Midori said, raising an eyebrow and smiling. "I suppose so. She has a thing for Gaara-san."

"Oh, that's so cute!" Ayame giggled. "She has a weird taste in men, though…"

It took a few minutes for the old man to make the ramen and package it neatly in a bag for Midori, and once she retrieved it and paid the right amount of currency, she headed home. She stared upwards into the starry sky absent-mindedly as she walked through the deserted streets. It was a cool and quiet night, and most of the occupants in Konoha were in bed now.

As Midori turned a corner, she stopped in mid-step. A feeling of strong chakra nearby caused her to shift her gaze right and left alertly. "Who's there?"

_Behind! _Midori darted to the side quickly as a large figure created a crater in the spot she had been previously.

"Not so loud, Jiroubo," said a voice. "You'll wake up the whole village with that stomping around."

Midori held the bag tightly and jumped backwards a few feet to have a view of the people attacking. She saw four figures, three males and one female all older than herself. The shadows formed from the sickle moon traced their silhouettes, creating an eerie mood.

"What do you want?" Midori demanded.

"We are the Sound Four," a man who seemingly had two heads (one on the back and one on the front) stated. "I am Sakon, West Gate."

"Kidoumaru, East Gate."

"Tayuya, North Gate."

"Jiroubo, South Gate."

"We were actually on our way to your place to kidnap one of you while you were asleep," the figure with four arms said. "But you made it easy. Now we can meet up with the kid _and _capture you all in the same trip."

Midori narrowed her eyes. _Why would they want me? _

"Okay, little girl," the figure with a head front and back said. "We'll give you two choices. Come on your own accord or fight."

"That's such a hard decision," Midori said, bending her knees. "I choose…" She shot off into the air, dropping the bag and all of its contents. She waved her hand vertically, creating a bright light that consumed the darkness for a split second and called, "to fight!" Taking the end of the broad line of light she had created, she snapped it like a whip towards the small group who scattered.

Kidoumaru's mouth bulged for a second then he spat, a webby substance flying out of his mouth.

Midori waved her hand horizontally and a long force field appeared, stopping the attack successfully. As the shield faded, she spun around, bright sparks flying from her finger tips. The Sound Four, who were surrounding her, leapt backwards to dodge the multiple attacks. Sakon charged forward a second after and threw a punch. Midori leaned back and tried a kick. However, the man intercepted her attack with his arm and flipped her over.

Seeing an opening, Kidoumaru shot another string of web toward Midori who held her arms up for protection. However, that wasn't quite enough and she felt herself being pushed back from the blow. Finding herself securely fastened to a wall, she grimaced.

"Well, well, she certainly didn't put up as much of a fight as Uchiha," Sakon remarked.

_They fought Sasuke earlier then… _Midori thought.

"Now to make sure you don't scream…" Sakon said, coming closer.

Midori closed her eyes, feeling her chakra growing throughout her body with the power of the crystal hanging around her neck. Sakon realized what was happening immediately but was suddenly pushed back by the force of the girl breaking the web.

Kidoumaru narrowed his eyes.

Midori made several hand signs and visibly bright chakra formed around her hands. Placing her hands together in a clapping motion in front of her, a beam shot from her hands, aiming for Sakon.

Sakon leapt into the air, but the attack was able to connect with the tip of his foot. He landed gracefully on the ground and his eyes traced down to his foot. _That attack took some of my chakra away…interesting…_ "My, you're an annoying little gnat."

"Hurry up and finish, Sakon!" Tayuya ordered impatiently.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Keep your skirt on." He attacked her with his elbow, forcing her backwards.

Jiroubo came from behind, grabbing her by the legs and tossing her into the air then Kidoumaru shot multiple volleys of web towards the vulnerable girl. The web encased Midori's entire body, disabling her of escape. As she fell towards the ground, Kidoumaru caught her, a cocoon-like case from every angle.

"Heh, heh…" Kidoumaru chuckled. "Orochimaru's gonna love his little present."

"Hey, even if she's unconscious, she still needs air to breathe. We don't want her dead," Sakon advised.

"_That _would be bothersome," Kidoumaru agreed, tearing away the web that covered Midori's face carefully.

"Let's get going," Tayuya said. "That Uchiha Sasuke kid'll probably show up soon."

"Yeah."

That being the last word said, the mysterious Sound Four disappeared with the unconscious Midori to meet Sasuke. Whence he arrived, Sasuke noticed Midori and said, "What're you doing with her? What's she doing here?"

"Orochimaru gave us orders. We don't know why," Sakon said. "It doesn't matter."

Sasuke stared at Midori for a moment. _Midori…she's from Nami's team. And yet she seems to be the weakest out of her teammates…so why would Orochimaru want her? I don't understand but…_ "Well whatever. Let's just get out of here already." _And it begins…_

_

* * *

_DUN. DUN. DUUUUUUUUUUN. R&R please! See ya tomorrow!

-HM


	33. Rescue Mission

Thanks for the reviews! I feel the need to tell everyone that even though you all know I use some context and diologue from the manga and sometimes anime, there's gonna be a lot more of that coming up in further chapters so I can make sure that I get everything straight (even though I never seem to get it 100...) Anyway, just a heads up! I know some people don't like that kind of stuff too much. Then again, if you REALLY didn't like it, you wouldn't be here at chapter 33, would you? Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I thank all of you to stick with me even with this unoriginal plotline. XD I'll try my best to morph Kishimoto-sama's masterpiece into something of my own with mild variations of his works. Now, without further ado, I give you the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

"Tsunade-baachan! Tsuna—"

"WHATWHATWHAT?!" Tsunade screamed as her head shot up from her desk. Papers flew everywhere and Tsunade, flustered, attempted to catch them all.

"Sleeping during the day, baachan?!" Nami said, annoyed. "What kind of Hokage _are _you?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes in an annoyed fashion. "What do you girls want? I'm very busy."

"Very busy sleeping?"

"Don't try to be snippy with me," Tsunade warned. "Now tell me what you want or I'll kick you out personally."

"Tsunade-baachan, it's terrible!" Kyoko exclaimed. "Midori…Midori never came home!"

"Midori?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

"She's our teammate!" Nami explained. "And she left last night to get some food and she never came back! We were supposed to train real early in the morning and she wasn't in her room!"

"Please send out a search team!" Kyoko pleaded.

"All right, all right," Tsunade said, shifting through papers.

"Hokage-sama!"

Tsunade groaned. "What _now_?"

Kyoko and Nami turned to see Kotetsu and Izumo coming in while carrying stacks of papers.

"Oh, good work," Tsunade praised.

"What's that drool on your face?!" Kotetsu said, enraged. "Were you sleeping on the job again?! You made us get more documents and you just slept?!"

"Er…"

"Anyway, Hokage-sama," Izumo said. "There's some news I'd like to give you…"

"What is it?"

"Well…it seems…that Uchiha Sasuke has run away."

Nami and Kyoko exchanged nervous glances.

"What?!" Tsunade hollered, standing up. "Is that true?!"

"Unfortunately, yes," Kotetsu said.

"We found Haruno Sakura sleeping on a bench this morning and what we heard from her…there's no mistaking it."

Tsunade sat back down solidly, grimacing.

"Could this have anything to do with Midori's disappearance?" Kyoko whispered to Nami.

"My bet is that loser ambushed her and took her along with him…that twisted, little…" Nami growled.

"But why?" Kyoko interrupted.

"Cuz he's twisted…"

"Izumo! Kotetsu!" Tsunade barked, gaining everyone's attention. "I want you both to retrieve someone for me! Get me Nara Shikamaru!"

"Roger!" The two chuunin saluted the Fifth Hokage and ran out of the room.

"What about us?" Kyoko demanded. "Our friend's gone too!"

"And we're willing to bet the traitor had something to do with it!" Nami added.

"Now, now, let's not jump to conclusions," Tsunade said hastily. "And don't worry. I'll send out a team to retrieve both Sasuke _and _Midori."

"And we're apart of it, right?!"

"That all depends on the choice of the leader."

"And that leader's naturally gonna be me, right?" Nami demanded.

"What do _you _think?" Kyoko slapped her forehead. "Why do you think she wants Shikamaru?"

Nami crossed her arms. "I'd make a better leader than _him_!"

"And who's the one who became chuunin?"

"Way to hold it against me!" Nami exclaimed.

"Do you think Midori's okay?" Kyoko said with concern. "You know we've always been there with her, and now…"

"She's fine, probably," Nami said. "She's the one who taught us the basics, remember? The one who started us up."

"Yeah but…"

"Chillax, man."

"I will if you never say that again."

"…"

Tsunade sighed as she watched the girls. "You want to leave my office now?"

"No way, baachan! We're gonna stay and wait for Shik to come back to tell us we're apart of his team!" Nami declared stubbornly.

_I'll have to remember to give Naruto a whooping for spreading that 'baachan' around…_ Tsunade thought irritably. Her thoughts were interrupted as Shikamaru entered the room. "Ah. Shikamaru. I have a mission for you."

Annoyed is one word to sum up Shikamaru's expression after hearing the current Hokage saying this to him.

"It seems Sasuke decided to leave the village last night and I'm positive he's headed for Otogakure."

"He…_left_?" Shikamaru exclaimed, eyes wide. "Why?"

"Because he's a traitor," Nami muttered.

"Because Orochimaru persuaded him," Tsunade said sharply, shooting a short glare at Nami.

"H-Hold on!" Shikamaru said, flustered. "Why would Sasuke be persuaded by a creep like him?"

"It doesn't matter," Tsunade said. "The point is, we're running out of time and I need to give you your first mission as a chuunin."

"So…you want me to bring him back, is that it? If we don't run into any enemies, it shou ld be easy enough…"

"That may be true," Tsunade said. "But this mission has to be completed as quickly as possible. There's a higher probability of running into an enemy."

"What?"

"This isn't the first time something like this has happened," Tsunade said. "I'd say Orochimaru's henchmen will be leading Sasuke to Oto."

Shikamaru frowned. _This is so troublesome... _"Then…for the mission, I request at team of elite ninja."

"I'm not able to fill out your request."

"What?! Why?!"

"You should know," Tsunade said. "Asuma, Kakashi, and even your father…all the elites are out of the village doing missions. You have thirty minutes to gather as many worthy genin to take part in this mission…and leave immediately!"

Shikamaru was silent for a moment, then sighed and said, "It's going to be troublesome…but it's someone I know I can't just leave like that. I'll do what I can."

"Good, because…there's one person I would like to recommend…"

Kyoko and Nami cleared their throats.

"Okay, _three _people," Tsunade corrected herself.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "You two want to rescue Sasuke?"

Nami put up a finger to retort, but Shikamaru put up his hand and said, "Never mind. Tell me on the way. I only have thirty minutes. Who's the other person, Tsunade-sama?"

"Uzumaki Naruto."

---

"Why do you wanna help Sasuke? From what I've seen, you both despise him," Shikamaru said as he ran alongside the two girls of Team 12.

"It's not Sasuke we want," Nami said with disgust. "It's Midori."

"…Midori's gone?" Shikamaru said, shocked.

"Yeah," Kyoko nodded. "And we think she's traveling down the same road as Sasuke. The only thing that's different is that she's not going willingly."

"We think Orochimaru's henchmen kidnapped her last night," Nami explained.

"I see."

"So that's why you have to let us on the team!" Kyoko blurted out. "She's our teammate! And we need to help rescue her!"

"I don't want to put you two in danger as well…" Shikamaru admitted.

"C'mon, Shik," Nami urged. "Please. It's probably gonna be the only thing we'll ask of you…this week."

"I don't know…"

"Come on," Kyoko said. "You'd wanna come if it were Chouji or Ino who were captured, right?"

Shikamaru sighed and closed his eyes, thinking 'why me?' However, he nodded in agreement and said, "All right."

Kyoko squealed happily. "Thanks so much, Shika-kun!"

"Please don't call me that…"

_Don't worry, Midori, _Nami thought.

_We're gonna save you, _Kyoko thought.

---

"YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!"

"NO, WE'RE NOT!" Kyoko and Nami screamed.

Shikamaru rubbed his ear. _They're…so _loud_…_

"W-Wait a sec, I gotta change!" Naruto called as he ran back into his house.

Minutes later, the quartet was continuing their search. They soon came to the Akimichi household, and Chouji answered the door in pajamas. Of course, he had his bag of chips with him.

"…So we need you to help on the mission," Shikamaru said. "Get ready, Chouji. We'll be waiting out the front gate for ten minutes."

"Didn't you say _excellent _ninja?" Naruto shouted. "If we need more, why not just ask Shino or some—"

"I've been working with Chouji in a team for a long time," Shikamaru interrupted piercingly. "He's the easiest for me to work."

Chouji smiled warmly.

"Shino's on a mission today with his dad," said a voice. Barking followed soon after, earning everyone's attention.

"Kiba?" Kyoko said.

"I guess this is what happens when I wake up early to try to take a walk," Kiba smirked. "Well, I've heard everything, and it sounds like quite the dilemma."

"I also happen to know what's going on," said another voice.

"Lee?" Nami questioned.

"I'd like to take on this mission," Kiba said. "It sounds like a real adventure, right Akamaru?"

Akamaru barked.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. 'Be serious'. Whatever."

"I would also like to take part in this mission!" Lee declared.

"You think you should?" Shikamaru asked.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well…"

"He's talking about your injuries, Lee."

"Neji!" Lee said, turning around to face his teammate.

"What mission are you all talking about?" Neji asked.

"Midori got kidnapped!" Nami exclaimed.

"And Sasuke ran away!" Naruto added.

Neji's eyes widened ever so slightly. "Then I wish to be on this mission."

Shikamaru nodded. "Of course."

"Is it because of Midori?" Nami said slyly.

"It's important to bring back the people belonging to our village," Neji said hastily. "That's why we need to bring back both Midori and Sasuke."

"Right…"

Kyoko smiled. _He said that a little _too _quickly. _

"Okay, time's up," Shikamaru said, looking over at the people he had gathered. _Naruto, Chouji, Kiba, Neji, Nami, and Kyoko. That makes a team of seven and one dog._

"All of you going out there to risk your lives…it makes me want too…" Lee said quietly.

"You have other things to worry about, Lee," Neji said with a hint of concern.

"Well then, let's get outta here!" Naruto called. "Everyone follow me!"

Silence passed for twenty seconds.

"You know, Naruto…" Shikamaru said petulantly. "I'm kind of the leader of this team…not that it's a big deal or anything…"

"You sure _you _can handle being leader?" Naruto questioned. "You're not exactly all that trustworthy…"

"I agree," Nami said. Then she rested her arm atop Naruto's head. "I say _I'm _the leader!"

Kyoko rolled her eyes. "You're even _less _trustworthy!"

"And what're you guys to talk anyway?" Kiba said. "But on the other hand, it feels kind of weird taking orders from Shikamaru."

"Hey, Shikamaru's a chuunin already! That means we've gotta listen to what he says. The village's high council acknowledged that he's leader-material," Chouji pointed out.

"Then tell us the basic strategies and plans," Neji said productively. "From what you've told us, there are possibilities of enemy ambushes."

"Yeah," Shikamaru agreed. "And since we're the pursuers of this mission, it'll be easy for our enemies to get us first. So we'll decide on the squad formation that's most suitable for an attack now. If anyone decides to be a wise guy and goes on their own or doesn't do as I say, it might end up in a slaughter of our entire team."

Everyone was silent, waiting for Shikamaru to explain his plan and give them orders.

"We'll proceed in single-line formation," Shikamaru finally said. "Kiba, you'll be in the front, the most crucial position of forward scout. That's right, _you_. You're always traveling around the country and you know the terrain well. Not to mention your sense of smell will make it easier to track Sasuke or Midori down and sense anything the enemies have left for us. Second is Kyoko. From what Midori says, you're excellent with observation and deactivating booby trap with weapons. This way there's a high probability that we won't have to run into any troublesome traps. Third will be me, the leader. I'd be able to give orders behind Kiba and Kyoko and anyone behind me can see my hand signals. Fourth is Naruto. Your reactions are pretty quick so I've put you in a position where you can assist both front and back. You'll be cover and assistance, especially with your specialty jutsu. Fifth will be you, Nami and sixth will be Chouji. You're best at close-range attacks, if I'm not mistaken. Therefore, after Naruto, Kyoko, Kiba, and I create openings if we get attacked, you'll be the first one to take them down. However, I know you're attacks require multiple shots, and we're in a hurry. So Chouji, you'll deliver the finishing blows from behind. You may not have the speed, but you have the strongest hit power. Lastly, I'll have Neji be at the end. With your Byakugan, you can check for our blind spots." Shikamaru continued to explain the way the team would position their line of vision (A/N: I won't put the details since you all already sat through that painfully long and familiar explanation) and then they were set. "Now I want to check our team's total strength. Let me check your equipment and I'll finish in approximately three minutes." As soon as he was done with _that_, he said, "Any questions?"

The team was silent and Naruto shook his head.

"Well, if there's nothing else, I'll finish with the most important thing…Sasuke doesn't particularly mean anything to me at all."

Everyone tensed, and confusion was a mild term of how they were feeling.

"However!" he said loudly. "He's a shinobi from Konoha, just like you and me; Midori as well. They're comrades. This is why we'll risk our lives for them. This is the way of the leaf. Even someone of my standards can't afford to goof off on something like this. I'm responsible for all your lives."

"Hmph," Nami smirked. "Nice speech there."

"Yeah," Kyoko agreed, smiling. "Now you sound like a chuunin."

"Alright, let's go."

"Wait!"

Everyone turned their attention towards the voice of a certain pink-haired kunoichi.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed.

"I heard everything from Hokage-sama…" Sakura said quietly.

"Sorry, but I can't take you on the mission," Shikamaru said sternly. "You weren't able to convince Sasuke, right? Seems like we have to force him to come back now. Sakura, your job is done."

Tears started to form in the kunoichi's eyes, and even though Naruto tried to unhelpfully raise her spirits, the tears were set free. She started to shake uncontrollably, earning the sympathy of most of the people at the front gate. She started to speak shakily, "Naruto…I-I beg you! P-Please…Please bring Sasuke-kun back!"

Naruto's eyes widened.

"I…I couldn't do it…I couldn't stop him! The only person now…who can probably save Sasuke-kun…is you…Naruto…only you…"

Naruto looked dejected for a moment, but then put on a forced smile. "Sakura-chan. You like Sasuke that much, don't you? I know…how much pain you're in because of Sasuke. I can understand."

"Naruto…" Sakura whispered as she sobbed. "Th-Thank you…"

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan! I'll bring him back!" Naruto said, his hand contorting into a thumbs-up, the familiar nice-guy pose. "It's a promise!"

Nami's eyelids lowered as she glanced at Naruto, then Sakura. _She doesn't even come to say 'Be safe' or 'Come back alive'? Otouto…_

"Nami."

"Eh?" Nami looked at the pink-haired kunoichi with slight confusion. "What?"

"I…Thanks for before," Sakura said quietly. "You know…I really meant it…and…I think if you just look at Sasuke-kun in a different light…maybe you'd see how much he's been through and how much he needs friends. He isn't bad…like you make him out to be…"

Nami didn't know what to say to that. She shrugged and turned around so her back was facing Sakura and crossed her arms. "You never know, Sakura."

"Hey, hey, Naruto!" Kiba called. "You sure you can keep a promise like that?"

"What, you think I'd take back my words? No way!" Naruto smirked. "So then, let's go!"

"Yeah, we wasted quite some time…so let's hurry," Shikamaru said. And they were off.

---

"What's that?" Nami asked.

"An explosive seal," Neji answered.

"Well I know _that_," Nami said. "I meant what it's doing just there. It's not like we're stupid enough to hop onto some random tree trunk."

"Maybe not," Neji said. "But I see five more, forming a barrier seal."

"Barrier seal?"

"Ninjutsu in the form of a trap," Shikamaru explained. "It's triggered when the target enters the space between the seals. It's pretty high-level. I read it from one of my dad's books. Do you think you can deactivate it, Kyoko?"

Kyoko nodded. "I know about them too. Give me a second." Kyoko pulled out a needle and tied a thin thread to it. Tossing it with precision, she hit the explosive seal squarely in the kanji then struck a match she had taken out of her bag. Lighting the end of the thread, she released a small string of fire towards the needle which then ignited the paper. The seal blackened and shriveled into burnt pieces. Then she jumped, sticking to the tree with her chakra, and crushed the fire with the bottom of her shoe before it could grow. Jumping down, she said, "Since this one's burned, the others should be useless."

"Right," Shikamaru nodded.

"Looks like you're useful for something, huh Kyoko?" Nami called as the team continued.

"Shut up!"

As they went on, they encountered more and more traps which Kyoko destroyed. Soon, Shikamaru gave the order to start moving on the ground to avoid any unavoidable traps placed in the air.

"The enemy seems to be in a hurry," Shikamaru said. "Their work is getting sloppier."

"Yo, Naruto! There's a wire in front of you! You better not trip it!" Kiba warned.

"Yeah, yeah, I see it," Naruto said, annoyed.

"Eh?! Naruto, hold on!" Shikamaru shouted.

Naruto gasped. It looked as if he were going to step forward when he suddenly stood still in mid-step.

"That was close…" Shikamaru grunted as he stood back, letting go of Chouji's scarf.

"Naruto, you idiot! I _told _you to watch it!"

"One of the wires is camouflaged green," Neji observed. "It's hard to see. A double trap."

"Well that seems kind of desperate," Nami said, arms crossed.

"Yeah," Shikamaru said. "Even if their in a rush."

"That can only mean their resting," Neji concluded. "They're wounded…or it's a trap." The Hyuuga genius activated Byakugan and stared off into a direction. "I see them."

"Alright!" Naruto cheered. "Let's bring Sasuke back!"

"Sorry, Naruto," Kiba smirked. "But it's my turn to show off my new move."

"Mine too!" Chouji added.

"Hmph. You guys aren't the _only _ones who wanna get in on the action!" Nami said.

"Don't be so hasty," Shikamaru said. "As soon as I get my strategy laid down, we'll engage our target!"

---

Midori slowly opened her eyes groggily and a forest scene blurred into view. She blinked tiredly and attempted to get up. It was then she realized what had happened. She struggled uselessly, trying to get out of the bonds of the web-cocoon.

"Hmph. You're awake already?" said a voice.

Midori's eyes traced to the voice and saw Kidoumaru next to her. He seemed slightly weary, and as she looked around, his accomplices were as well. She narrowed her eyes.

"Man, that was too early," Kidoumaru said as he raised his fist to knock her out once more.

Midori squeezed her eyes shut and waited. When impact never came, she dared to open one eye. Her captor was looking off into the distance suspiciously. "Hey, Sakon."

"Yeah."

Sakon tossed a kunai with an explosive note attached to it swiftly. The noise of the impact of metal embedding into bark sounded, followed by a loud detonation. The explosion brought out three figures.

"Neji! Kyoko! Shikamaru!" she screamed.

"Well, well," Sakon said. "Look what we have here…"

"W-Wait! We're not here to fight!" Shikamaru said. "We're here to negotiate…"

"Is that so?" Kidoumaru smirked as he thrust his hand. "Then what're these?!"

Immediately, Chouji, Naruto, Kiba, and Nami flew out of nowhere, attached to strings that were tied around Kidoumaru's hand. Kiba moved his own hand in a throwing motion and a smoke bomb hit the ground.

Kidoumaru laughed in amusement. "That smoke bomb is useless! These strings are thinner than wires but stronger and harder to detect. They're all over the area. There's no hope of escape for you guys."

"So…you purposely made those two wires visible…a triple trap," Shikamaru realized. "I didn't even know…"

Midori's eyes widened slightly.

"Heheh…" Kidoumaru chuckled. "You guys area all…huh?" He flinched. "What…what's wrong with my body?"

"All right, Kiba, Shikamaru! Kagemane is a success!"

Midori smiled. _He planned it all along…_

"Well, then," Shikamaru smirked. "You should know about these kinds of techniques. Thanks for falling right into our trap."

"Well…" Sakon said. "As a reply…I have these kinds of techniques."

"Look out!" Midori shouted.

Shikamaru grunted as he was hit by several sharp projectiles coming from behind. As soon as the Kagemane was broken, Jiroubo slammed his hands on the ground, making it crack.

"Doton! Kekkai Doroudoumu!" he shouted. The earth started to rise, trapping the rescue team in a dome-shaped barrier.

"No!" Midori cried.

"You're a noisy prisoner," Kidoumaru said as he raised his hand. "Go back to sleep."

Midori gave a shortened gasp as she felt the impact of his blow. Her eyelids started to grow heavy. No…

Shikamaru cursed loudly.

"We're trapped!" Nami shouted as she started to punch the wall. "No! They're gonna get away!" She made a hand sign then outstretched her arm, the familiar katana flying out of her sleeve. She grabbed the hilt and slammed the sword into the wall. Narrowing her eyes. It's thick…We can't use normal attacks on it.

"Dammit, let us out!" Naruto ordered as he pounded on the wall as well.

"Naruto! Nami! Move it!" Kiba shouted, clapping his hands together as a sign of his trademark move. Once Nami pulled out her weapon and she and Naruto jumped out of the way, he slammed his hands on the ground as his nails grew longer and sharper. He leapt from the ground and ran straight into the wall in a whirlwind. "Tsuuga!"

Bits of earth and rock flew everywhere as Kiba drilled through the wall.

"All right Ki…ba…?" Nami said in mid-air punch as the hole he had made closed in.

"Hey…" Kiba said, pointing to the wall.

"I saw it," Neji said.

"It closed up…" Kyoko said.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Nami said, rolling her eyes.

"Get us outta here!" Naruto panicked.

"This isn't an ordinary clay wall…" Neji observed as he activated Byakugan. He tensed. "This…this is…"

"What is it, Neji?" Kyoko asked uneasily.

"This…isn't good," Neji said, turning to the others as he looked down at his hands. "Our chakra is being sucked dry."

Kyoko could feel it. Her chakra and strength were slowly dissipating away. She narrowed her eyes as she fell onto one knee, and saw her current teammates faltering as well.

"I…I think I'm losing my strength…" Naruto muttered as he fumbled against a wall tiredly.

"We gotta get out of here before we run out of chakra!" Nami declared as she shakily stood up.

"I agree!" Kiba said, looking towards his dog. "Akamaru, quick! Take this soldier pill!"

Akamaru barked as he gulped it down. Almost instantly, his white fur shaded to red.

"Akamaru, follow my lead!" He put his hands together into a seal and Akamaru transformed into Kiba. The two Inuzukas shot at the wall together. "Gatsuuga!" Once again, rocks were removed barbarically from the prison, raising dust. "More!" As soon as man and man's best friend had finished, there were multiple holes around. However, they disappeared almost as quickly as they were made. Kiba cursed. "The wall repairs itself as soon as we destroy it! The ground too!"

"This is bad…" Kyoko moaned.

"We're gonna lose all our chakra soon!" Kiba exclaimed.

"…Shik…?" Nami said as she noticed Shikamaru's expression.

"HEY!" Shikamaru shouted. "I wanna talk to your leader! If you let us out, we won't follow Sasuke anymore!"

"Shikamaru, what're you doing?!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Interesting…" the group heard Jiroubo's voice. "But no thanks. You all are gonna be my meal."

"Then only one is fine," Shikamaru said. "Just let me out. I'm tired of conflicts and action."

"Hey! Do you know what you just said?!" Kiba hollered angrily.

"Shikamaru!" Kyoko said as her brows furrowed. "What…what're you doing?!"

The sound of hefty laughter was heard. "You're the leader, aren't you? And you're asking for my mercy?" Jiroubo snorted. "When humans are placed in a dangerous situation, their true nature appears. A fool like you doesn't deserve the position of a leader. What a loser."

Chouji grimaced.

"You're giving up on Sasuke and selling out you're comrades, eh? And you call yourself a Konoha shinobi…you don't deserve to live. I'm not letting you out."

"Shikamaru!" Naruto growled. "I've lost all faith in you! Come to the back of the room!"

"There is no 'back' to this room, idiot! That's how we got into this in the first place!" Kiba retorted.

"Shik, what the heck's you're problem?!" Nami demanded. "What happened to your speech back at Konoha? Did it mean nothing?!"

"I thought your words meant something!" Kyoko added heatedly. "Shikamaru! Start acting like a leader!"

"Everyone shut up!"

The group turned their attention to Chouji.

"Chouji…?"

Shikamaru kneeled down on one knee and put his cupped hands together, only the fingers and thumb touching. His thinking position.

MUNCH. MUNCH. MUNCH.

"You're eating at a time like this?!" Kyoko and Nami yelled.

"Chouji starts eating like crazy when he's losing his temper," Kiba observed. "Man…another useless guy…"

"And what's that supposed to mean?!" Naruto shouted. "It looks like I'll have to use kage bunshin…"

"Don't," Neji intervened. "The walls around us are shielded heavily with the enemy's chakra. Didn't you see what happened to Kiba? The walls will just repair themselves. That means if we want to penetrate the wall, we'll have to focus on a single point."

"The only one who's got more destructive power than me is Chouji but…"

Shikamaru stood up. "Neji, sorry for the trouble, but can you examine the wall behind you and Chouji with your remaining chakra?"

"Yeah."

"Shut up, Shikamaru!" Naruto hollered.

"NARUTO!" Chouji shouted, oddly louder than Naruto. "Don't you get it? Don't you remember what Shikamaru said?!"

"Whoa…" Nami said in awe.

"Talk more quietly from now on, Chouji," Shikamaru said.

"You really have a lot of faith in him, don't you, Chouji?" Nami remarked quietly.

"Yeah, I do," Chouji nodded, grinning. "He's my best friend, after all."

"Hmph. I don't know if I'd have that much faith in Kyoko…"

"Hey!"

"Neji, aim for that place," Shikamaru ordered. "Chouji, get ready!"

"Right!" Chouji said, bringing his attention back to Shikamaru. "Baika no Jutsu!"

"What's going on?" Naruto said, confused.

"I've said it before," Neji said, pulling out a kunai. "There's a shield of chakra around us. Shikamaru hypothesized that there may be weak points in the barrier."

"How does he know that?"

Neji threw the kunai with accuracy. "When Kiba and Akamaru attacked the walls, he noticed that some spots regenerated faster than others."

"Oh, I get it!" Kyoko exclaimed as a grin appeared on her face. "That's why Shikamaru talked to the enemy! To see where he was! And the farther away from the enemy the wall is, the less chakra there is in it!"

"Precisely."

"Alright, let's GO!" Chouji hollered. Chouji's limbs and head disappeared and he cannoned towards the wall. "Nikudan Sensha!" As soon as he connected, the wall burst with a loud crash, surprising the sound ninja on the outside

"Chouji..."

Chouji screeched to a stop.

"You're the best," Shikamaru smiled.

Chouji chuckled fondly.

"Yeah! We're outta there!" Kyoko cheered as she punched the air.

"And now it's time for some payback," Nami said, cracking her knuckles.

* * *

Everything sounds familiar, doesn't it? Yeah, it does. Even though the whole Jiroubo thing is virutally the same, just you wait for the next chapters! I have a feeling they'll be more surprising and unpredictable. Maybe. It all depends.

R&R please! Until next time! See ya around!

-HM


	34. The Secret's Out Once More

Only one more day! Not much to say now at the moment since I'm mega busy, so here's the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

Kidoumaru noticed a glowing as he leapt from a branch coming from his young prisoner. The light was faint, but still suspicious. Once the glowing subsided, the girl woke up, much to his surprise. "Awake again?" 

Midori glared at him hatefully. "You guys won't get away with this. The Konoha team will be here soon and take you down!"

"Put Sleeping Beauty back to sleep!" Sakon ordered. "We don't need her input!"

"Yeah, yeah."

Midori narrowed her eyes as Kidoumaru raised his hand again. _Not this time. _Just as his hand was about to thrust down, a thin barrier of light flowed around Midori's head and neck-area.

"What the hell?" Kidoumaru said, surprised. "Some kind of force field?"

_Yes…it's hard, but I can still put up a shield without using my hands, _Midori thought.

"What's the matter, Kidoumaru?" Sakon said as he jumped back next to him. "Can't knock out a meager girl?"

"Shut up!" Kidoumaru ordered. "She's got some kind of jutsu!"

Sakon glanced at Midori for a second. "Well, if she won't go to sleep, she won't. Looks like you'll just have to deal with her conscious." When Kidoumaru gave him a dirty look, he smiled innocently. "Just thought you didn't want the trouble of her being awake, that's all."

"I don't," Kidoumaru said, staring down at Midori. "I don't know what Orochimaru-sama wants with her."

"It's not of our concern, but I'm curious too," Sakon said.

"She doesn't look special," Tayuya snorted. "Not strong at all. No wonder it was so easy to capture her."

Midori averted her eyes from the Sound Team, feeling more and more inferior by the second. Why _had _it been so easy for them to capture her? She knew she may not be the strongest of her team, but she always thought that she had been improving fairly well. But how long had it taken for them? A few seconds...a minute and a half at best, she realized. _Am I…really _that _weak? _

At that moment, Jiroubo came up from behind, following the others.

"What took you so long?" Sakon questioned.

"Sorry. It took longer than I thought to take away their chakra."

"You fatty," Tayuya mocked, holding out the coffin. "Hurry up and carry the coffin, that's your job. You inferior d—"

Midori tuned Tayuya out. _These guys…are so vulgar…_she thought.

"Yeah…" Jiroubo answered.

"You're so obedient today…" Kidoumaru said suspiciously.

"What?"

"Don't give him the coffin, Tayuya," Kidoumaru ordered. "Cuz he's not Jiroubo!"

Jiroubo cursed under his breath.

"I'll take care of this," Kidoumaru said. "You guys go on ahead." Just as he was about to pass Midori onto Sakon, Jiroubo appeared in front of Kidoumaru in an attempt to land a punch atop his head.

Kidoumaru quickly stopped the attack with two arms, holding onto Midori with the others. "Jiroubo always warned Tayuya about her language," he said muffled, his mouth sounding full.

"I see…" A cloud of smoke burst and Shikamaru stood in Jiroubo's place.

"Shikamaru-kun!" Midori gasped.

"You stay here!" Kidoumaru shouted as he threw the Konoha kunoichi to the side and spitting out a strand of web, pinning her securely to a tree.

"Ninpou! Kumo Shibari!"

Instantly, Shikamaru went flying, the force of Kidoumaru's web pushing him against the trunk of a tree. Kidoumaru whirled around as he sensed another's presence behind him and ducked just as a blade crossed above his head.

"This time I won't miss!" Nami claimed as she made a swinging motion towards the Sound ninja.

Kidoumaru hopped backwards and shot another string of web towards Nami.

"Fire Style: Firebird no Jutsu!" Nami shouted as she cut a design through the air with her blade. As the visual formed into a fiery bird, it flew towards the web with frightening speed. The two attacks collided, fighting for the ability to break forward. Suddenly, the firebird extinguished.

"W-What?!" Nami exclaimed as the web stuck her to a tree as well.

"Stupid girl, you can't break my web with fire!" Kidoumaru mocked.

"How about I break you instead?!"

Kidoumaru darted to the side as Kyoko shot by out of nowhere. Kyoko turned in midair towards Kidoumaru and threw several kunai and shuriken. Kidoumaru dodged the weapons then followed the girl with his eyes. Kyoko had landed on a trunk and launched off of it, aiming to use some old-fashioned taijutsu on the older nin. Kidoumaru caught her fist and swung her into a lower branch. Kyoko attempted to move, but found that she was stuck to the tree. "Crap!"

"Too easy!"

Just then, several figures appeared overhead, ambushing the spider-like ninja.

"Don't underestimate me!" Kidoumaru barked as he spat a glob of web into his six arms. "Ninpou! Kumo Soukai!" Kidoumaru jumped upwards, the web morphing together to create a giant spider web with the master holding the ends. Like flies, the Narutos tumbled into the trap, weighing the large spider web Kidoumaru had created down.

"Gatsuuga!"

Two gray whirlwinds shot at Kidoumaru who was airborne. They sliced towards the Sound nin, however with a slight turn, he was able to dodge the deadly assault.

Kiba screeched to a stop. "You think I'll let you escape?!"

"That's exactly what I was gonna tell you," Kidoumaru smirked. "Look at your feet."

Kiba then noticed the same sticky substance that Kyoko was trapped in on his feet and found he was unable to move.

Kiba cursed loudly. "Don't think you've caught us!"

"Keep whining, loser," Kidoumaru said confidently as he hung upside-down. Then he noticed the smirk on Kiba's face. His eyes widening in realization, he cut the strings tied to four of his arms and turned right-side up, dodging Neji's attack just in the nick of time. Kidoumaru blew another glob of web into his hands and threw his hands towards Neji, creating another web.

"No!" Midori screamed. _Everyone's trapped…this isn't good…it can't be…_

"I'm gonna cocoon you here!" Kidoumaru proclaimed as he wove his arms around. Surely, a cocoon formed around Neji, sealing him from anything and everything.

"NEJI!"

"Damn it!" Naruto shouted. "Why can't I cut it?!"

"Weren't you listening when Miss Pyromaniac did that jutsu?" Kidoumaru said, amused. "If fire can't burn my web, what makes you think your simple kunai can cut it?" He seemed to be chewing something then stuck all of his fingers into his mouth. "Kage bunshin, huh? Interesting…" He pulled out several strings of golden web and said, "Ninpu Kumonekin!" He clenched his teeth, separating the golden strands from his mouth. The web in his hands started to harden, turning into six solid spikes. "Let's play a little game…" Kidoumaru said. "I'll find the real body! First one's at the end!" He tossed one spike aimed at said Naruto. As soon as it pierced Naruto, the whiskered boy disappeared in a puff of smoke.

_Naruto-kun won't be safe much longer… _Midori thought anxiously.

"Pst. Midori."

"_Kyoko?_"

Kyoko grinned cheesily and gave Midori the peace sign. "Hey."

"What…_how_?" Midori whispered.

"What the—?!" came Kidoumaru's surprised shout as the last Naruto blew up into smoke.

Midori gasped as Naruto came soaring down towards Kidoumaru and connected a forceful punch on the Sound ninja. Then she saw where Kyoko _should _have been. The space was vacant. "…Wha…?"

"I was a kage bunshin that Naruto made that used Henge and transformed into me and I was just hiding out for the right moment to rescue you while the other group of Naruto kage bunshin distracted Spiderman without the real Naruto who was also hiding out!" Kyoko explained victoriously.

"…O…kay…"

"Now let's try to get you out…" Kyoko said, making a hand seal.

Meanwhile, Kidoumaru had recovered from Naruto's punch and was on a thick branch on all fours—er, eights. He thrust some of his arms in a direction and soon, Naruto went flying once more with strings attached.

"Not even a Deflection no Jutsu will work?!" Kyoko exclaimed a little too loudly.

"Eh?" Kidoumaru turned around and noticed Kyoko. "Trying to escape?! Well try this!" He swung his other arms and shot a strand of web towards Kyoko as well.

"Kyoko, move!" Midori ordered.

Suddenly, a figure repelled the string then sliced through the web cocoon Midori was trapped in like paper.

"Neji!" Midori exclaimed as she broke free of her prison.

"You…" Kidoumaru growled. "How did you…?"

"Your web's made from chakra," Neji explained. "And things made from chakra can be destroyed by simply putting chakra into it. It's meaningless in front of my Juuken."

Kidoumaru narrowed his eyes as the other Konoha nin appeared on the same branch as Neji, Kyoko, and Midori.

"It looks like I'm the only one who can deal with this guy's jutsu," Neji said as he turned to the others. "Go. I'll take care of him."

Everyone stared at him, shocked.

"This guy's stronger than the fatty we fought before," Kiba protested. "Much more stronger…"

"We said that if we didn't each fight our own opponent it'd be rough, right?" Neji argued.

"Yes…that's exactly right…" Shikamaru said difficulty.

"And besides…" Neji said seriously. "If you stop here…you won't be able to catch up to Sasuke." Neji glanced and Naruto, then closed his eyes. "Naruto…you have better eyes than I do."

Naruto looked at him with slight confusion.

"Sasuke is currently…within the darkness." He was silent for a moment, then said in a more forceful tone, "Hurry up and go! I'll catch up with you guys later!"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay, let's go," Shikamaru said.

"Chouji will definitely catch up to us too!" Kiba added.

"Don't take too long," Kyoko warned.

"Kick this guy's butt!" Nami said.

The four of them continued the journey, leaving only Midori and Neji.

Kidoumaru spit out more web from his mouth, determined not to let the others escape. Neji pushed Midori behind him, then held his arms up as the web passed by, some parts knocking against his own body. He narrowed his eyes then jumped in the air, spinning. The web broke, stopping the strands from going after the others.

"You go too, Midori!" Neji said, looking back at her. "I can handle it!"

Midori just shook her head.

Neji's brow furrowed as he noticed the look in her eyes. He saw sadness, distress, and uncertainty deep within her irises. It seemed like she was about to…

Cry.

"Midori, what's wrong?"

"I'm not going to leave you, Neji," Midori said quietly.

"I'll be fine," Neji insisted.

"No you won't," Midori shook her head and looking down. "You'll be gravely injured. I don't want that to happen."

"You seem so sure of this. Are you unconfident about my abilities, or—"

"It's not that!"

Neji was a bit surprised at the tone of her voice.

"I _know _what's going to happen!" Midori blurted.

"…What…" Neji said, shocked.

"You'll be on the brink of dying, Neji!" Midori shouted, tears streaming down her face. "I don't want that to happen! Let me help you!"

"How do you…"

"Neji, my friends and I…we know what's going to happen," Midori said, her words running more quickly. "We come from a different world and we know what will happen. I _know _you're going to get hurt badly. I want to help you. I…please…"

"What are you saying?" Neji said, his mind clouding more and more every second. "That's…I don't understand…"

"Just trust me," Midori pleaded. "Neji…"

Neji whirled around and deflected a shot of web that had been hurling towards them.

"Hey, you two!" Kidoumaru called. "Don't act as if I'm not here! You seem like the strongest of those guys, so how about we play a little bit? Let's say…three minutes. Then I'll kill you." A twisted smile contorted on his face.

Neji activated Byakugan. "Okay, I'll believe you for now, Midori. Just be ready and follow any orders I give you."

Midori took a deep breath and nodded. "Right."

Kidoumaru started blasting multiple groups of web at the pair.

Neji placed a hand on the branch and dodged several while Midori leapt into the air out of the way of the attack. Suddenly, a web finally connected and pinned him down.

"Neji!" Midori called as she jumped down, spinning around gracefully and creating a force field in front of the Hyuuga. The barrier stopped some of the web in midair, making them drop onto the branch a few ways away.

"So you expel chakra too, huh? I thought so," Kidoumaru said. "But you're not as skilled as that guy over there. Your chakra is 'flat'." He shot more webs towards them.

_There are too many! _Midori thought as her hands flew through the air in front of her. _I can't—_ Suddenly, a web shot towards her feet, tripping her forward and clinging to her legs. She struggled to get up, but the substance stuck. _Come on, Midori. You can do this. Expel your chakra, just like Neji. You can do this…_

"Now that both of you are disabled, there won't be anymore problems," Kidoumaru claimed as he jumped in their direction. "As soon as a strategy's figured out, the game gets boring. It's only been a minute, how sad. I'm already bored with you so…" His cheeks bulged. "DIE!"

Midori struggled harder, but something stopped her. _This chakra…_ She closed her eyes. _Neji's chakra… _As Midori concentrated, her crystal started to glow. Suddenly, her legs spread apart, breaking the web, a faint yellowish green aura around them. She quickly fell into a kneeling position then shot up into the air, seeing a sharp golden weapon pass beneath her toward Neji. Half a second later, she saw pieces of web being thrown off of the Hyuuga by the force of his chakra. A quick smile formed under her nose. _Yes! _She landed on the hardened piece of sharp web and made a hand sign.

Kidoumaru was shocked. "What—?!" He started backing up, but Midori quickly drew a line in the air and caught him with whip-like chakra. Neji appeared momentarily in a familiar stance. "I'll let you in on a little secret," Neji said, glancing up at Kidoumaru with his Byakugan eyes. "It's not just my hands…I can emit chakra from every chakra opening in my body…and by the way…Its game over for you."

Midori snapped the whip back as Neji called out, "Hakke Rokujyu Yonshou!" The Hyuuga genius continued to attack the Kidoumaru relentlessly, ending on a powerful "ROKUJYU YONSHOU!"

Kidoumaru cried out in pain as he was forced through a large tree. A loud explosion sounded and Neji landed on a lower branch, his breath heavy.

"Good job, Neji!" Midori praised as she landed next to him. Her smile quickly straightened. _Wait a minute…_

As the dust cleared, a hazy figure started to distinguish. When Midori was able to see the figure completely clearly, she gasped, horrified.

_Golden skin…? _Neji thought.

Kidoumaru was still alive, looking as menacing as ever. A golden shell-like armor covered his skin, but then started to crack. The pieces gradually fell off, revealing the spider's smirk. "That was a close one. I heard that anyone struck by the Gentle Fist Style would have their chakra network sealed, disabling the use of chakra. That was a narrow escape."

"How monstrous," Neji said. "It seems like its not just your mouth…"

Kidoumaru smirked. "My Kumo-Nenkin is a form of metal that instantly solidifies once it touches the air, blocking all chakra. Also, I can emit it not just from my mouth, but from every sweat gland of my body."

_Even if Neji tries to attack him with Hakke Rokujyu Yonshou, it wouldn't affect him, _Midori thought. _But if we team up and I restrain him from using his technique…_ Suddenly Kidoumaru disappeared and a projectile was hurling towards her and Neji, a kunai with an explosive note on it.

She jumped back instinctively, but then saw tens of shuriken being thrown toward Neji. _It's a fake?! _She leapt into the air, and whirled around, waving her hands that glowed brightly. She deflected the shuriken and landed some feet away from Neji. Almost as suddenly, another round of kunai attacked. Now it was Neji who spun around, using Kaiten to protect himself. As Neji turned to a stop, he threw a kunai in a direction.

"I know where you're hiding," Neji announced. "So why don't you just come out?"

Midori tensed as Kidoumaru came into view, upside-down. "Fine. I must admit this game is pretty difficult to beat. So I'll play seriously now," he said.

_The curse marks! _Midori thought, alarmed.

Kidoumaru created a spider web, made several hand seals, then touched the web with one hand shouting, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

As the smoke from the summoning cleared, Midori felt as if several cold fingers had run down her spine. She shivered.

A gargantuan spider sat on a large web with Kidoumaru hanging from it, and only one thought was running through Midori's mind. _Spiderspiderspiderspiderspider! EEEEWW!_

Neji glanced at Midori out of the corner of his eye and noticed her sudden anxiety and remembered an event that happened a while ago.

_**Flashback**_

"_**EEK!"**_

"_**What is it?!" Neji said, alarmed.**_

"_**Sp-sp-spa-spa-spider!" Midori shrieked as she grabbed onto Neji's arm roughly. "Kill it, Neji! PLEASE!"**_

_**Neji raised an eyebrow at her and squished the spider with his finger, then wiped it off on a napkin. "There."**_

_**Midori sighed with relief with a relaxed look on her face. "Thank you."**_

"_**You're really that scared of spiders?"**_

_**Midori flushed. "Well…um…a little bit…"**_

_**Neji raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Really…?"**_

"_**What's that tone?!"**_

"_**Nothing. It's nothing." **_

"_**You're so mean, Neji."**_

"_**Perhaps. But I'm the one who killed the spider."**_

_**Midori giggled. **_

_**End Flashback **_

"Midori, are you all right?" Neji said to the girl next to him.

"Y-Yeah…I-I'm fine," Midori said shakily.

"So you're afraid of spiders…" Kidoumaru said, amused. "Then this'll go good both ways…of course, I'm not allowed to _kill _you or anything, but it doesn't mean I can't scare you…or injure you a little for that matter. Have fun, you two, because this will be your last fight."

* * *

R&R please! 

-HM

-6/3/07 I fixed the problem with the paragraph repeats! Sorry about that, must've been kind of confusing...but it's all good now!


	35. StarCrossed Lovers

Happy Birthday to...(dramatic pause)...ME! XD And this is the last day of the super-duper-awesome-author-birthday-update SPECTACULAR! Thanks for the reviews everyone! Enjoy the chapter! (Yeah...I just finished my third can of Coke...)

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

"Hey, Kyoko," Nami called from the very back. "Do you think Midori will be okay? Maybe we should've gone back to get her."

"She has Neji with her!" Kyoko piped. "She'll be fine!"

"Well yeah, but that guy looked pretty strong," Nami said uncertainly. "And he's like some kind of mutant spider-guy. Spiders freak her out and she hates them. She can't even stand the little ones."

"They'll be fine," Shikamaru said, looking back.

"And don't forget, Nami," Kyoko said, glancing back. "Midori still has that technique she's been working on."

---

_As long as I cover Neji's blind spot, he'll be okay, _Midori thought as she deflected a flying golden lance that came out of nowhere. She stood ready, back-to-back with Neji. Large spider corpses surrounded them as well as strings of web as an aftermath of Neji's Kaiten.

"Midori," Neji said quietly. "I might not be able to use Kaiten with these chakra webs around here."

"No worries," Midori answered. "That only means that you'll be able to conserve your chakra." _And I'll be able to stay closer to make sure you don't get hurt… _

Suddenly, hundreds of the spears created a downpour above them, all aiming toward Neji. The Hyuuga grimaced. "Midori, move!"

The girl had no other choice but to follow his order and dodged out of range of the weapons. She looked back anxiously and watched in amazement as Neji dodged every single lance. An array of more spiders followed the weapons, and Neji quickly switched from dodging to warding off the arachnids with his bare hands. He started to use Kaiten, but the webs instantly started to wrap around his body. _I still can't use Kaiten! _Neji saw Midori from the corner of his eye appear a few feet behind him again. "Mi—"

Midori swung her hand horizontally in front of her several times and stopped a line of daggers. This caught Kidoumaru's (who was hiding out in the trees) attention.

_If that kid can see everything with that dojutsu of his, why would the girl protect his backside? _He thought. _Interesting…_ He let loose another barrage of spears, this time from two sides, Neji's left and right.

Neji instantly turned left and Midori followed from behind, turning to guard his back again.

Kidoumaru's eyes widened and grinned. _Aha…I see…But just to make sure…_ After setting up another trap and moving to a different location, he activated it.

Once again, Neji repelled the spiders. However, he didn't see several daggers coming from behind. Luckily, Midori took them out with another stream of light. She let a small, confident smile escape her lips. _Yes…as long as we stick to this strategy, we can— _

Midori gasped as she found tens of spears hurling towards not Neji, but her. They came in three groups, to her left, right, and front. There was no way she'd be able to ward them all off. Midori bit her lip, narrowed her eyes, and—

THUD! THUD! THU-THUD! THUD!

"Ne…" Midori choked. "Ne…Neji!"

The Hyuuga genius had thrown himself over Midori, shielding her from the daggers, and getting stabbed multiple times in the process. His arms were still wrapped around the girl's shoulders from when he grabbed her and pushed her down. A number of the golden lances were sticking out of his backside agonizingly, and his thick hair fell loosely over his back.

Midori immediately felt the familiar burning feeling in her eyes as she gazed into Neji's pained expression. She gasped when he started to move. "Neji?"

"Are you…all right?" Neji breathed.

"Y-Yeah…" Midori stuttered. "Neji, you're—"

"Stay there," Neji ordered, as he shakily got up. "Let me…handle this."

"Why are you still struggling?!" called a voice. "A scrub in an easy game is meant to be defeated quickly! There's no hope of beating me!"

"Ne—" She stopped when she saw the huge mother spider dropping downwards in their direction. Her eyes instinctively squeezed shut.

"Juuken!"

Midori's eyes opened wide as the gargantuan spider hovered mere feet above her head. Neji's palm was thrust into the belly of the monster, seemingly lifting it with Herculean strength for a split second. Instantly the spider morphed into strands of web and a barrage of daggers headed towards Neji. He was trapped.

THUD! THU-THUD! THUD! THUD!

Neji started to give way.

Midori shot up and ran toward Neji, forgetting his order. She caught him just before he fell and supported him fearfully, forgetting everything and anything around her. That was a mistake.

Neji saw it coming. He turned her at the last second so it would miss her…The deadly golden arrow.

BOOM!

"NEJI!"

Midori felt Neji collapse against her, and she held onto him firmly. She was shaking, her eyes large and terrified. It wasn't because of the extensive number of daggers in Neji's back. No, it was much worse. Anyone could clearly see the gaping hole below his left shoulder, even through blurred eyes.

The tears were flowing freely right now. Midori felt completely useless, standing there with a limp Neji, exhausted from the injuries Kidoumaru had inflicted upon him. It was obvious to her. She knew that Neji would've been able to decrease the damage somehow if she hadn't been there. The reason why he was in so much pain was because she was there.

Shaking her head, she started to run. Neji wasn't exactly light, but she would do anything…Anything to get away from that monster of a shinobi. Midori darted behind a tree and sat down, leaning breathlessly against it. She laid Neji down carefully and tried to think about some way to escape Kidoumaru.

"Midori."

"Neji," Midori whispered, surprised that Neji was still conscious. "Are…are you okay?"

"Not really," Neji said, attempting to prop himself up on his bandaged arm. "But…it doesn't matter." He looked at her, his chest heaving up and down wearily. "Midori. I told you to follow my orders. So now…I want you to follow one last order." He leaned himself against the broad tree, one hand against the trunk. "…Run away."

"What?"

"He's powerful," Neji said. "I'll be able to hold him off…while you run."

"No!" Midori said forcefully. "No, Neji! You've done enough! I want to do something for a change!"

Neji was silent.

"It was my fault that you're hurt!" she continued. "I wanted to protect you, but you ended up protecting me! I've worsened the damage, and you still want to fight? How stubborn are you?!" She turned around so her back was to him and placed her hand on the tree. "Neji, you're hurt. If you try to protect me any longer, you'll die! I don't know what I'd do if—" She felt a hand closing over hers. Her eyes traveled to the Hyuuga who had his back towards her. His bandaged hand was wrapped around hers, and for whatever reason, it felt reassuring.

"Relax. I won't die. I promise."

At that moment, Midori suddenly heard a noise as if something was cutting through the air. A second later, she felt Neji's hand tense a slightly. She automatically turned around and gasped. A thread ran between Neji and herself. It was dripping with blood. Neji's blood. The Hyuuga's hitai-ate had been thrown off by the impact and was now sitting some feet away. Neji's eyes were wide; either from shock or recognition, but Midori didn't stick around to contemplate. She dashed off past the tree.

"Midori!" Neji called, but Midori ignored him.

_Where is he? _Midori thought as she ran faster and faster. _Where is he?! _She spotted a figure in the distance high in the air and narrowed her eyes. Her pupils turned from black to white and her irises brown to black. _Meikakugan! _She zeroed in on the target, making Kidoumaru's image sharpening and everything else around blurry. She blinked and her Meikakugan deactivated. _He's going to shoot another arrow! I've got to stop him! _She pushed off the ground and into the air, soaring straight towards Kidoumaru. Her fist pulled back for a punch.

Kidoumaru immediately saw her coming and dodged her. He smirked as she landed on a branch yards from where he was standing. He was grotesque, in Curse Seal Level Two form, a thread sticking between his teeth and a golden arrow ready to fire.

"Come back willingly, have you?" Kidoumaru mocked. "Or wait; let me guess...you didn't want to watch your friend's death."

Midori narrowed her eyes. "Neither." She outstretched her right arm and closed her eyes. _Please work._ The Hikari Suishou brightened its glow immensely around her neck. The same light started to appear in her hand, seemingly growing longer and thinner.

_What's she doing? That looks like…a bow? _Kidoumaru thought. "Whatever you're doing won't work, little girl!" _But I can't use my ultimate attack on her. Orochimaru-sama and his little servant will definitely..._

Midori narrowed her eyes and reached into her back pouch, pulling out a handful of shuriken. She tossed the ninja stars at Kidoumaru's feet swiftly then moved her left hand to the 'bow'.

"Ha! Is that all?!" Kidoumaru laughed as he jumped into the air easily.

Midori quickly pulled her hand back as if she was holding an arrow, and surprisingly enough, a bright arrow formed in her hand. A second later she let the transparent arrow loose.

Kidoumaru's eyes widened and he turned in the air ever so slightly. He grunted as the arrow sliced his cheek.

"This time I won't miss," Midori said, drawing her hand back. Another arrow appeared.

_How is she doing that? _Kidoumaru wondered as he felt the blood drip down his cheek. _That arrow…is made of pure chakra…It must have something to do with that necklace of hers… _"You wanna play now, huh?" Kidoumaru said. "First I'll get rid of that annoying guy. Then you'll be off to Orochimaru-sama's." He extended his arm, then let go.

Midori quickly let her own arrow follow past Kidoumaru and straight at his arrow.

_What? _Kidoumaru thought as he witnessed his arrow getting pierced by the luminescent one before it got even past the tree. The two arrows shattered, creating a small explosion.

Kidoumaru stared angrily at Midori. "You little—"He abruptly dodged to the side as another arrow whizzed past him. _Those arrows are soundless… _he thought. _I'm not allowed to kill the girl…This is irritating… _"Fine then," he said as an arrow dropped from his mouth. _Accuracy: 100, minimum power._ He released the projectile, but so did Midori.

The two clashed and disappeared, just like the previousones.

Midori was about to draw another when Kidoumaru suddenly appeared behind her. Her reflexes were no match for his speed and she was thrown back by the force of his punch. The next thing she knew, she was crushed through a tree and onto another branch. _One punch and I'm already exhausted…_ she thought. _That curse mark has strengthened him at least tenfold...but…_ She touched her crystal and started to stand up with difficulty. _Hikari Suishou, aid me. _

_Her chakra's increased? _Kidoumaru thought alertly. _No matter. I still have her weakness. _Kidoumaru shot another arrow.

Midori swiftly dodged it and heard the sound of its impact against the tree. Her ear twitched when she heard a different sound afterwards. Turning around, she saw nothing. But looking upwards…

The eight-legged animal was dropping right above her. She ducked down and covered herself with her arms. The spider landed, exploding into a mass of webs.

"That was easy," Kidoumaru said. "Hope I didn't kill her, or—" He stopped. _Where…?_

_Zoom. _

Kidoumaru grunted loudly as he felt something go through his back. Blood spurted out his stomach and he clutched the wound with his hand. "The hell?!" He turned around to see Midori with her hand held back in a stance. "Bull's-eye."

"It was just a bunshin…huh?" Kidoumaru grimaced. "Right when I hit you through the wall…I guess I underestimated you. But not anymore." He made a hand sign then released another low-powered arrow.

Midori jumped onto another branch to avoid the attack. As she started to move again, she found she could not. Looking down, she discovered webs nailing her to the branch.

"It's all over, girlie," Kidoumaru said, creating another arrow and drawing it back. "You're trapped for sure this time…and now your knight in shining armor is dead. There's no doubt my attacks have caused his blood to drain by now."

"Shut up!" Midori shouted. "Neji's not dead! So just…just shut up!"

"Are you sad now?" Kidoumaru said with mock-sympathy. "Oh, I'm very sorry." He smirked. "Just what makes you believe he's still alive, hm?"

Midori lowered her head. "He…he promised…"

Kidoumaru laughed heartlessly. "He _promised_? How cliché. Hate to break it to you, but promises don't go very far in the real world." He moved his hand back further. "You know what? I think I _will _kill you. You're annoying. Sure, master will be mad, but you still have those two teammates, am I correct? And the others will likely capture one of them as well if it was just as easy as capturing you. So, I bid you ado, little girl."

Midori raised her head, blinking away tears. She moved her hands in quick motions and the luminous bow and arrow appeared. She narrowed her eyes, willing her chakra to link with the arrow through her fingertips. "Now!" she shouted as she released the arrow.

What came next shocked Kidoumaru. Instead of hitting his own arrow, she had forced hers to barely skim above, straight towards him at such a frightening speed that as soon as he blinked, he felt the pierce of the chakra rush through his chest. He toppled off of the branch and careened into the ground, curse marks dissipating.

Midori winced as the arrow drilled through her stomach, forcing her backwards. She would've tumbled down like Kidoumaru if it weren't for the strings binding her to the branch. However, she wasn't thinking of that now. Her mind had begun to get cloudy and the pain in her stomach was like none other before.

Then all of a sudden, she felt her feet break free of the web and the touch of someone holding her, bringing her down from the height. She wearily set her eyes on the person, Hyuuga Neji. A fond smile slowly graced her lips. "Neji."

"Midori, you're hurt," Neji said, concerned.

"You're no better off," she said quietly, gesturing towards his shoulder.

"Your stomach…"

"Better me than you," she interrupted. "I'm just happy I was able to protect _you _for once." She gazed into Neji's face and saw that he was a complete mess. Blood was starting to dry on his chin, and his face was scratched and cut numerous times. The rest of his body was no better. Then she saw the hole in her stomach and grew pale. She covered the wound and said, "Thanks…for saving me."

"Who're you fooling?" came a sickly voice. Kidoumaru was still alive.

Neji started to get up, but Midori stopped him.

Kidoumaru laughed then started coughing. "Look at you two…" he said eerily. "You're gonna die together…just like the star-crossed lovers…"

"You're wrong," Neji said. "I made a promise I _will _keep."

Midori felt her eyelids getting heavier as she rested in Neji's arms. She had been unconscious enough times before to know what it felt beforehand. This was it. _Thank you, Neji...for keeping your promise._

* * *

Kinda short...but in my opinion, satisfying.

I'm such a cheeseball. XD I may suck at romance and everything was probably cheesy, but hey, I really liked typing it. I feel like I just wanna pick up a pencil and start drawing scenes from this chapter! Maybe I will. Someday. I hope I didn't de-glorify Neji for giving his big dramatic stab through the stomach to an OC...SORRY NEJI! You know I love ya! (I'm so pathetic)

I had the idea for this battle in my head pretty much the entire time since I started the first few chapters of Narutoverse no Jutsu. Just a few weeks ago I started to read Bleach (AWESOME MANGA) and then I came to the part with the Quincy and I was like, "Oopsie-daisy." I knew that Inuyasha had something similar to it with the whole sacred arrow thing, but I didn't know BLEACH did too. SORRY URYUU! SORRY KAGOME!

Enough with the hyper rambling. R&R please! Until next time!

-HM


	36. Separation

Okay, so I kind of wrote this all this morning, I'm afraid to admit. And its a pain in the butt to reread the manga and type at the same time because they change battles EVERY OTHER PAGE. But I guess that's one of the bad things about writing a story with this plot. (shrug)

What makes me REALLY happy is that the number of reviews are slowly increasing! That really makes me want to sing even though I can't sing worth crap! XD Thank you, kind reviewers! And all you kind readers who read but don't review, please review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

"Kiba!" Kyoko shouted as the Inuzuka, dog, and Sound Nin tumbled down the cliff.

"Hold on!" Nami started running then dove off the edge, dropping down instantly.

"She just jumped off a cliff!" Kyoko gaped. "She…"

"Nami, he—!" Shikamaru exclaimed. Then he shook his head in frustration. "That girl...doesn't listen to a word I say…How troublesome."

"You son of a…!" Tayuya shot towards them.

"The other one's coming!" Shikamaru exclaimed. He turned to Naruto and Kyoko and said, "Yo two take the barrel and go ahead! I'll do something about her!"

"But—" Naruto began.

"Hurry!" Shikamaru ordered.

Suddenly, something caught Tayuya's attention. "What…why did you…?" she gasped. "…Kimimaro!"

A figure startled the trio. A second later, the barrel containing Sasuke had disappeared.

"What the—!" Kyoko exclaimed.

"You're too late, Tayuya," Kimimaro said.

_Kimimaro… _Kyoko thought. _I remember _something_…What is it? _She narrowed her eyes, trying to remember. Then Lee and Gaara's faces flashed through her mind. _Kimimaro…_

A loud voice trumpeted through her thoughts, shattering the visions and bringing Kyoko back to reality. Naruto had thrown himself towards Kimimaro and Tauya, arm outstretched. Shikamaru called to him, but his attempt was useless. As soon as Naruto was about to punch Kimimaro, Tayuya flew in front of him and swiftly knocked him backwards with her own fist.

Shikamaru retrieved Naruto before he could sustain any more injuries. "Calm down, Naruto," he ordered.

Kyoko looked over to see that Tayuya had taken out a flute. She turned her attention back to Shikamaru as he started to speak.

"Naruto, Kyoko," he said seriously. "From now on, follow my orders according to what I tell you." He started to explain the plan, and as soon as he was done, Kyoko spoke.

"What about Nami?" Kyoko asked. "She's still down there with Kiba."

"They'll be okay," Shikamaru said. "I'm sure that fall wouldn't kill either of them, and together they'll be able to overpower that one man. So, then…" He stood up straight and turned towards Tayuya, poised to attack, kunai in hand. "It's three on one! We've got the advantage on our side! It's inevitable! Let's go!"

The three of them jumped off the branch they were on and came at the cocky Tayuya.

"Ha! You pieces of trash won't make a difference no matter how many there are!"

"Don't underestimate us!" Shikamaru shouted.

"Here we go!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Come on!" Tayuya challenged.

Shikamaru clashed his kunai against Tayuya's flute and called, "Naruto! Kyoko! Now!"

"Now its time for our super-awesome-mega-deluxe-double move!" Kyoko declared.

"Eat this!"

Tayuya stood ready, her eyes glued on the two genin. In front…Over…Be…hind? She looked over her shoulder.

"Not!" Naruto and Kyoko chimed in unison, mocking Tayuya in their own special ways. Then the two took off, leaving the female Sound Nin to Shikamaru.

_Now it's just me and Naruto, _Kyoko thought as she glanced over at the blond boy. She tensed when she saw Naruto's features become fiercer. _His chakra's starting to boil…_

They soon came to a vast field of grass stretching from the forest to who-knows-where. Kimimaro was standing only a few ways away with the barrel.

"Hey!" Naruto growled as he and Kyoko landed.

"…How will I cook you two?" Kimimaro said emotionlessly.

Naruto growled angrily. "What does Orochimaru want with Sasuke?!"

"Orochimaru-sama has already completed the jutsu of immortality," Kimimaro answered. "In order to acquire all jutsu in the entire world he needs time."

"And what does that have to do with Sasuke?!"

"Immortality doesn't necessarily indicate the immortality of his body. He must replace his body with a newer and stronger one before his current one succumbs."

"That's what Sasuke's for?!"

"Yes. Exactly."

"Y…You…!"

"Naruto!" Kyoko shouted. "Get a hold of yourself, man!"

"**I won't let you do such a thing!**" Naruto roared.

---

"Yahoo!" Kiba shouted as he headed for Sakon. "Hit 'em from the back, Nami!"

"Got it!" Nami came dropping down from the sky and was about to land a kick on Sakon's back when the head on his back moved. "What the—!" Nami was thrown backwards, tumbling into the rocks.

"Wha—!" Kiba exclaimed as he jumped away from Sakon. _Why'd Nami go flying like that?! What hit her? _"Okay, Akamaru! Let's try Gatsuuga on both sides!"

Akamaru transformed into a clone of his master and started to run. Kiba ran the other way then they both simultaneously let loose their attacks. "Gatsuuga!"

Nami narrowed her eyes as debris flew everywhere from the explosion. _What happened? _"Kiba?! Kiba!"

The smoke cleared and Nami was able to see the outcome. Kiba and Akamaru had both been stopped by not only Sakon, but a 'twin body' attached to him as well.

Nami took off, her katana slipping from her sleeve and into her hands. Once she got to the mutant, she swung.

---

"**I won't let you take Sasuke!**"

_He's totally out of control! _Kyoko thought urgently. "Na-Naruto!"

"Stay out of this, Kyoko!" Naruto ordered, glaring at her with monstrous eyes. "**I'm gonna kill this guy and take Sasuke back!**"

Kyoko was someone who valued her life, and she wasn't about to step in a stark-raging-mad Naruto. Or, in this case, Naruto_s_. Millions of Naruto clones were surrounding Kimimaro, and among them was the real one standing right next to her.

"Interesting," was all Kimimaro said. He lifted his hand slightly and sharp-like bones grew from his palms. "Come."

"**I'll crush you!**"

Kyoko felt bursts of chakra fill the air radiating from the Narutos. All at once, they charged.

---

Nami watched in horror as the head gazed at her hungrily. The fist connected to Sakon's back tightened its grip on her wrists and held her up. Nami struggled to break free. She thrust her leg forward, but her foot was stopped by a leg morphing out of Sakon's back.

Kiba scowled.

"Trying an attack from behind, are you, little girl?" Sakon said. "It won't work. My older brother and I are very good brothers. He usually stays asleep inside of me, but wakes up to help me out during battle. Ukon can extend his hands and legs from any part of my body and can both strike and defend."

The hands threw Nami roughly to the side then disappeared into Sakon's body. A fist emerged in Sakon's head then punched Kiba in the face. "Like this!"

Akamaru immediately began running towards the two.

"Ta-Ren-Kyaku!"

Both dog and master were kicked several yards away, raising dust as they skidded across the area.

"A kick that is three times as powerful hurts pretty badly, huh? Let's see what's next…"

"We don't have much time left, Sakon," Ukon warned. "Kill quickly! Activate Level Two!" Sakon and Ukon's forms grew even more gruesome. Horns sprouted from their heads and their skin turned a different color. Their teeth turned into fangs and their chins became pointed. Together, they looked like some kind of Gemini demon.

A gasp escaped Nami's mouth. _Disgusting…_

"Yeah, yeah, you're too hasty, brother," Sakon said.

Kiba looked over at Akamaru, then Nami. "You guys…those horns aren't just for show."

"Of course not," Nami said, staring at the brothers. "They're even more powerful than before…"

"So how do you want them cooked, brother?"

"Let's chop them into pieces…"

Akamaru barked loudly, gaining Kiba's attention.

"What? You want me to use that?!" Kiba exclaimed. "No, Akamaru! It's too dangerous! You know that if we use it, we'll end up with most of our chakra gone. If we miss _this _chance, we're dead dogs. Ow!"

Akamaru had bitten Kiba's hand, growling.

"Akamaru…"

"What jutsu, Kiba?" Nami demanded, crawling towards them. "Let me help!" Nami could tell Kiba was thinking hard about something. "Kiba!"

"Nami, can you stop them?"

"Huh?"

"Keep them in one place," Kiba explained. "Can you keep them still for me?"

"All right." Nami stood up. "You can count on me." She took off running, shouting a battle cry, katana outstretched. Before she reached the brothers, she stabbed the sword into the ground and leapt out them, foot first. Sakon grabbed her leg and she pulled out her katana. With a heavy thrust, she shoved the blade into the arm holding onto her leg, sticking him to the wall behind.

Sakon cried out in pain. "You little—"

"Move, Nami! Now Akamaru!"

Nami drew out the blade and flipped backwards.

Sakon started to caress his wounded arm when strangely yellow liquid fell from the sky. He shouted in disgust. "What the…dog piss?!"

"It's all set!" Kiba announced as he shot into the air with Akamaru who landed on his shoulders. The Inuzuka made a seal and smoke billowed everywhere.

Nami landed on the ground and looked up, eyes wide as the smoke cleared. "Whoa."

In the place of Kiba and Akamaru stood a huge, white, two-headed dog. One head growled, liquid escaping its mouth hungrily.

However, Sakon and Ukon weren't impressed. "Hmph…all this tension for a bunch of drooling dogs…"

Suddenly, the dog leapt into the air and started to spin. The transformed Kiba and Akamaru careened down towards the brothers like a speeding bullet. "Eat this!"

Sakon dodged as quickly as he could, part of his body getting sliced by the attack. As he landed once more, he found himself slipping. _Saliva?!_

"What're you doing, Sakon?!" Ukon demanded. "Look out!"

Once again, the whirlwind descended, this time drilling right into the target. _Garouga!_

"Bull's-eye," Nami smiled.

The giant twin-headed dog screeched to a stop, leaving a line of destruction in its path, the two brothers included. The dog heads smirked victoriously and one of them spoke, "How was that? Garouga is a move where we spin so fast that we can't even keep track of our vision, a super spin. Even if it doesn't hit, its shockwaves slice the enemy. If you get nailed head on, you're gonna be in pieces."

"That was wick—huh?!" Nami gasped as the Sound Nin started to rise.

The place where the body had been cut off seemed to start to split in half. A ghastly arm and leg formed from Sakon's body, and next to him was another being. Sakon scoffed. "Hah…we were just thinking about splitting up anyway."

_Right out of a horror movie…_ Nami thought nervously.

"True…if we got nailed as one, it would've been quite bad…however…The _real _fighting begins…now."

"Garouga!" The canine spun towards the two once more.

The twins darted to the sides and disappeared from sight.

_I get it now…It's useless for them to hide, _Nami thought. _They've already been marked._

Suddenly, she felt a tremor underneath her. Looking around, she spotted a large wall-like object rising from the ground. A crash from Kiba and Akamaru followed as they collided into the wall.

"Kiba! Akamaru!" Nami called as the dog fell limply downwards. She cursed under her breath and dashed off. When she came closer, she noticed Sakon passing her, covering his eyes. A strong smell wafted from the older ninja as he ran past and Nami wrinkled her nose. It was then she heard the faint sound of impact and a scream. She whirled around and gasped. "Kiba!"

Kiba was there, but something was merged to the back of his shoulder. It was Ukon. A kunai was held in Kiba's hand, stabbing inwards into a vital point in his stomach.

"Kiba!" Nami called again as she appeared by his side. "You…" She looked at Akamaru who was lying close by, unconscious. Then she turned her gaze to Ukon. "Kiba, don't do anything more drastic! I'll get rid of this dirt bag!" She pulled out a kunai and was about to stab Ukon when he unattached himself from Kiba.

Kiba coughed and blood spurted out of his mouth.

Ukon was doing no better. Blood gushed out of his wound identical to Kiba's, and he seemed to be in much pain.

_We gotta get out of here, _Nami thought as she pulled several smoke bombs from her back pouch and tossed them. Instantly, smoke filled the air, covering the two genin and Akamaru.

Ukon stood up shakily and looked around. The smoke was clearing and a small body was in sight. He smirked and started walking over. "Heh…they left the mutt behind. It's a wise decision…he's even more heartless than…myself." Then he stopped.

Akamaru started to smoke. He expanded and swelled until he finally burst, kunai shooting out of the decoy.

Meanwhile, Kiba and Nami were just getting out of the water, dripping wet. Kiba sat up against a rock and Nami looked around alertly, standing guard. Nami glanced at the Inuzuka who was caressing his dog. She noticed his wound was fatal, and that he was still bleeding badly.

"Yo, Kiba."

Kiba looked up at Nami questioningly.

"I'm gonna go back," Nami said. "If I can stop that mutant from coming any farther, you won't have to get any more injuries."

"You can't take him by yourself!" Kiba argued. "We barely got out of there on our own!"

"I know," Nami said. "And that's why you and Akamaru are so injured. You guys just lay low, okay? You don't have any chakra left, so don't try to kid yourself! Me…I'm just getting started."

Kiba looked away. _And she's telling _me _not to kid myself…_ He was about to argue more, but by the time he looked back, she was gone.

The scenery passed by quickly as Nami retraced her steps back to where they last left Ukon. Her feet splashed on the water with each step she took.

"And the rats begin to scurry back."

Nami stopped in mid-step and turned her head to see one of the twins (she figured Sakon since he had no wound) standing a distance away.

"Tell me. Where is your fleabag of a teammate?" Sakon asked. "My brother and I have some unfinished business with him."

"I don't know," Nami said as she drew her katana. "But maybe if you beat me, I'll tell you."

"Do it quickly, brother," Ukon hissed quietly. "I want the other one."

"Go back to sleep, I'll be done in a few seconds," Sakon assured him as he smirked at the girl. "Come and get it."

Nami shot off, spraying water around her. "Die!" She bounded into the air and cut downwards.

Sakon darted back several steps, then disappeared.

_He's fast! _Nami thought as she began to turn around only to be greeted by Sakon's fist. Nami fell backwards several yards, skidding across the water. As she got up shakily, she wiped blood from her mouth with her fist.

"Even without my full strength, I'll be able to beat you," Sakon mocked. "Easy."

"Don't underestimate me!" Nami shouted as she made several hand seals and held her katana upwards. "Fire Blade!"

Instantly, the blade of her katana burst into flames, the light bouncing off the water brightly. Nami thrust the sword horizontally and fire was let loose from the sharp edge. She took off, following the wave of fire.

Sakon's eyes narrowed as he jumped, front-flipping in midair. The flames passed underneath him, barely skimming his hair as he flipped over them. As he landed on the ground, he threw his arm to the side to attack Nami. Nami quickly dodged in the opposite direction and tried another swing at him.

Sakon darted to the right, avoiding the fiery blade. He sunk his knee into Nami's stomach swiftly, shoving her into a group of rough rocks. Nami gripped her katana as she stood up once more, feeling the pain in her back. She glared at Sakon and said, "If you think that's all I have, you're wrong!" Tossing the katana high into the air, she made a set of hand signs and touched the ground with one hand, catching the katana surely with the other. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

Smoke appeared, blocking Sakon's view. Sakon narrowed his eyes and thought, _a summoning jutsu…_

Whence the smoke cleared, Nami stood there, a average-sized orange fox with a white chest and Konoha forehead protector hanging from its neck appeared. Its eyes were a dark shade of brown, and its right ear was pierced several times.

"Who are you?" Nami demanded. "I wanted Noriko!"

"You expect to summon the queen on so little chakra, girlie?" the fox said in disbelief. "You're lucky you even summoned _me_."

"Who _are _you?" Nami repeated with more emphasis.

"The name's Mimamoru," the fox said. "And who are you?"

"Kawa Nami," Nami answered.

"Well then," Mimamoru said, looking over at Sakon. "I suppose this is the creature you want me to aid you in fighting with?"

"Well…yeah…"

"I'm at your command, master," Mimamrou said, bowing the way only foxes could bow.

"Then follow my lead!" Nami ordered as she outstretched her arm and started off for the umpteenth time, but this time with Mimamoru at her side. "Go, Mimamoru!"

Mimamoru bounded in front of Nami and went straight at Sakon biting his transformed arm.

"Get this thing off me!" Sakon shouted as he started shaking his arm wildly.

"Take this!" Nami brought her katana down, aiming to cut off Sakon's arm.

However, Sakon had other plans. He backed up one step then threw his arm in Nami's direction. As a result, Mimamoru knocked into Nami, forcing her down and letting go of Sakon's arm.

"Forgive me, Nami-san," Mimamoru apologized as he started to stand.

"It's not important," Nami said, standing up shakily. "But we have to beat this guy." Her sword inflamed again and she charged, aiming a kick at Sakon. Sakon dodged then punched as she expected. She quickly darted to the side then drove her katana behind, feeling an impact.

"You annoying…" Sakon muttered as he felt blood seeping from his side. "It's nothing!" He disappeared then reappeared to the left of Nami, striking her with his arm.

Nami took the blow, but stood her ground this time. Mimamoru jumped from behind and rammed Sakon in the back of the legs.

Sakon cursed as he fell forward. _Ukon's still sleeping! I can't let this girl hold me off any longer! _He heavily beat Mimamoru as he tried to attack again, sending him a few yards away.

"Mimamoru!" Nami called. "You—!"

"You're attempts are futile," Sakon said as he grabbed Nami's wrist that held the katana.

Nami used her other hand to throw a punch at his head, missing and having her other hand blocked. She winced as she felt Sakon's grip tighten and turn. Sakon smirked.

CRACK!

Nami cried out in pain as Sakon released her. She sunk to her knees and clutched her wrist, the other hand lying limp disgustingly. Her katana had ceased fire and had been thrown to the side out of her reach.

"And now to end this…!" Sakon shouted.

Nami squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the brutal contact of fist to face. Nami plummeted through the air for what seemed like a long while. Her five seconds of flight ended with a loud 'SPLASH!' in the cold, dark water.

* * *

GASP. CLIFFIE. Hope this wasn't too...meh for you. That's my word for it. MEH.

Why is Naruto's words suddenly in bold? Most of you probably figured out that its sort of a Kyuubi-fied Naruto speaking. I don't know, really. It just seemed more dramatic to me...or maybe caps lock would've been better? I suppose it doesn't matter all that much and I'm just taking up space so I'll just stop on the subject right...now.

Anyway, on the bright side, SUMMER HAS ARRIVED! WOOT! I almost thought today was Saturday, but it isn't. It's Friday. For my time zone, that is. Yep. Friday. Not Saturday. I'm gonna stop talking.

R&R please!

-HM


	37. To Defeat Kimimaro and Uchiha Dreams

Sorry for the late update, everyone! I went to my cousin's place in a different location because my dad had some business to do over there and we kind of stayed longer than expected. SIGH. So, I had to write this whole chapter today. And my brain is dead. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

_He's beating the kage bunshin like they're nothing! _Kyoko thought worriedly. _This is not good. It also seems like that barrel-thing Sasuke's in…had weird chakra radiating out of it. And what's worse is…I'M JUST STANDING HERE DOING NOTHING!_

"Naruto!"

"**Eh?**" Naruto said. He looked back at Kyoko as several of his clones evaporated. "**What?!**" Naruto was still in demon-form, eyes fiercely slit and hair bristled.

Kyoko gulped. "N-Naruto, don't waste your time with that guy! You have to get Sasuke! I'll fight Kimimaro!"

Naruto tensed. "**No way! He's stronger than what you can handle! Ten times at least! Just stay out of my way!**"

_He's out of control,_ Kyoko thought anxiously. _He wants to kill Kimimaro for taking Sasuke…but right now Sasuke comes second? _She shook her head. _Fine then! If that's the way he wants to be…_I'll _complete the mission! _

With a hefty leap over some of the clones' heads, Kyoko made a run for the coffin. She weaved through the sea of Narutos, trying to mask her movements from Kimimaro. However, the Sound Nin saw right through her attempt and appeared in front of her in half a second, bone-blade at hand.

Kyoko whipped out a kunai and stopped the blade before it could lob her head off. Her arms shook tensely as the enemy started to gain control. She dared to allow one hand to leave the kunai and pull out another, aiming to stab Kimimaro's arm. Kimimaro immediately moved slightly to the side to avoid the attack, and Kyoko took this chance.

Kunai left bone, and Kyoko flipped over Kimimaro's arm. She dashed off, pushing Naruto clones behind her to stall Kimimaro as well as she could. She could see the coffin coming closer. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Kimimaro too. With a loud cry, she dove.

The coffin was harder than she expected. Smashing into it face-first…not a good idea.

"Oooowwww…" Kyoko moaned quietly as she rubbed her face. "Stupid Sasuke…you'd better not be a jerk about this after we're through…" It was then Kyoko felt a split presence behind her. Kimimaro.

Kyoko darted to the side, narrowly escaping a fatal wound. Kimimaro's blade shallowly cut her arm, and Kyoko winced. She hopped back several feet while holding the coffin in front of her. A second later, she whirled around and dodged back again, avoiding another attack. _As long as I have this barrel-thing in my hands, he won't dare attack my front side! So I just have to watch my back and—_

The pain was incredible. It seemed as if spikes of pain sprouted every which way of her body each second she moved. The long slash cut into her side spilled wave after wave of blood onto the grassy area. Kyoko put a trembling hand over as much as the wound as she could and her hand immediately became tainted in red.

_--My side…_

"Leave," Kimimaro said. "Unless you want to die."

"You're probably gonna kill me anyway, so why bother?" Kyoko spat. She coughed, feeling blood coming up.

"I do not appreciate this type of impudence from children like you," Kimimaro said. "Now die."

Kyoko's eyes snapped shut, fearing what came next.

"Anyone who hurts my friends has to answer to me."

One of Kyoko's eyes opened and blurrily saw orange. She blinked, and looked up at the back of Uzumaki Naruto.

Naruto looked back and gave her a nice-guy pose. His features were still intimidating, but the toothy grin was familiar.

_So…he still has some control over himself…even in this state, _Kyoko thought with relief. Suddenly, she felt her hands start to burn. She instinctively drew her hands back and stared at the coffin. _This chakra…_

"It's almost time…" Kimimaro said. "The first step to Orochimaru-sama's ambition…"

Kyoko, sensing danger, (and also seeing Kimimaro distance himself) grabbed Naruto and jumped back a few yards away. It was lucky she did, for as soon as they touched the ground, the coffin exploded.

The smoke cleared and a figure came into view. Black, spiked hair, receding curse marks, and the Uchiha Crest.

"Sasuke…" Naruto whispered.

---

"_I'm so happy we were able to bring you back, Sasuke!" Nami smiled._

"_I have a confession to make," Sasuke said quietly. _

_Romantic Disney music started to play in the background and everyone around stopped and held their breath._

"_What is it?"_

"_The only reason I went away…wasn't to become more powerful to defeat my brother but…to be able to become powerful to protect you!"_

"_What?"_

"_I know it sounds crazy," Sasuke said, pulling Nami into a strong hug. "But I came back…because I knew that you were on the rescue team to save me…from myself!" _

"_Oh Sasuke…"_

_Suddenly, the scene changed into a brighter setting with cherry blossom trees and a lake. Petals rained upon them and Kyoko, Gaara, Midori, and Neji popped out of nowhere._

"_Isn't it so sweet?" Midori cooed. "Nami-chan and Sasuke-kun are finally together!"_

"_It sure is," Neji agreed._

"_Congratulations to the happy couple!" Kyoko and Gaara grinned._

"_Oh, you guys!" Nami giggled. _

"Mm…huh…?" Nami opened her eyes to see a face with purple designs coming closer and closer to her own. She blinked. Then she screamed. "AUGH! GET AWAY PERVERT!" She brought her leg up where the sun don't shine and flung the person a few feet away.

"ARGH!" Kankuro yelped as he went into fetal position. "C-C-Crazy Konoha chick!"

"What were you _doing_?!" Nami demanded as she sat up and pointed dramatically at Kankuro. "On second thought, I don't _wanna _know!"

"I was just checking to see if you were conscious, obviously!" Kankuro exclaimed.

"A likely story!"

"It _is _because it's _true_!"

"Oh geez…" Nami groaned, "I just had the _worst _nightmare! I was together with Uchiha and Midori and Kyoko had boyfriends too and we were all happy and there were cherry blossoms and Gaara was smiling…It…it…it was like some kind of cheesy, corny…Fanfiction!" She shivered. "Happy place, happy place, happy place…"

"Well don't tell _me _about it," Kankuro said, rolling his eyes.

"Wait, what happened?" Nami questioned, her eyes darting around the area. "Is Kiba okay? Where's the Sound Ninja?"

"Sound Ninja?" Kankuro repeated. "I was in the middle of tracking the enemy when I came across you. Tell me more about him as we go along."

"So you guys are _actually _going to live up to your name as an ally?"

"Of course. We Suna shinobi are loyal."

"Sure," Nami shrugged, not really knowing herself if she was being sarcastic or not. She put her hands on the ground for an easier rise but suddenly felt pain jolt through her wrist like a drill. "OOOOOOWWW."

Kankuro came over and took her wrist carefully. "You broke it."

"No duh," Nami sighed.

Kankuro rolled his eyes and took out a roll of bandages. "Hold still." He wrapped the bandages around several times, creating a stiff cast-like covering. "That'll do for now. Let's go."

"Wait!"

"What _now_?" Kankuro demanded, annoyed. "This is a back-up rescue mission! We don't have the time to sit around and chat!"

"Where's Mimamoru?"

"Who?"

"My fox!"

"Oh. That guy. By the time I came, the fox was pulling you onshore and then it disappeared," Kankuro explained. "He was a summoning, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you don't have to worry about him at all, then. Now hurry up and show me which way that Konoha guy is!"

_Thanks, Mimamoru…_ Nami thought as she followed the puppet master.

---

_I can't believe it…_ Kyoko thought as she watched Sasuke run off. She turned to Naruto and said, "Naruto! You'd better go and knock some sense into him! Tell him how much pain he's caused everyone around him!"

"But you—"

"It's fine!" Kyoko said.

"You're injured!"

"This thing?" Kyoko said, wincing as she felt more blood run down her waist. "Nah! I don't need to move to fight!" _Yeah right, Kyoko…_ "Forget about it!"

"No—"

"Are you both done arguing?" Kimimaro interrupted as he bounded towards them. "Because I'd like to finish this." Before he had a chance to slash at the two younger ninja, he felt an impact against his stomach along with a ringing in his ears that sounded like, "Konoha Senpuu!"

Kimimaro was thrown into the air and skidded several yards away. Slowly, he rose. "And just who are you?"

"Konoha's proud Azure Beast has reincarnated!" Lee introduced, striking his famous battle pose. "I am Rock Lee!"

"Lee/Gejimayu!" Kyoko and Naruto exclaimed.

"Why…what about your body?" Naruto asked.

"Do not worry about that!" Lee said. "You have to follow Sasuke! Leave this guy to me!"

"Yeah, go, Naruto," Kyoko nodded. "I'll explain things to Lee."

"Still…"

"What're you still doing here?" Lee interrupted. "You made a promise to Sakura-san with the Nice Guy Pose, didn't you, Naruto-kun?" His thumb went up, clear for Naruto and Kyoko to see. "I _will _defeat this person."

Naruto nodded without hesitation and turned his back to run.

In the down time, Kyoko had wrapped her waist in bandages. By the time Naruto had decided to follow Sasuke, she was slowly standing up.

"Lee, he can use his bones as weapons," Kyoko explained. "Probably some kind of bloodline limit. Be careful." She pulled out a few needles and tried to straighten her stance, but the moment she did so, she felt her body give in. She crouched down, vision blurry.

"Kyoko-san," Lee said. "Do not try to fight anymore! Let me handle it."

_And I barely did anything, _Kyoko thought. "Fine."

"If worse comes to worse, run," Lee continued. "But do not fear!" he said with an air of excited confidence. He never took his eyes off of Kimimaro who seemed to be waiting. "I will protect you with my life! So stay right there!"

Kyoko sweat dropped. "Yeah…thanks…"

The moment Lee shot forward towards Kimimaro, Kyoko stood up and followed as well.

"Hey, you said—" Lee began.

"I'm not gonna stand by and watch from the sidelines!" Kyoko declared. "The wound is no big deal, okay?!"

Lee wasn't about to argue; he was too pumped up about fighting to do that, and Kyoko _did _seem okay…

"All right," Lee agreed. He noticed that Kimimaro's figure was already close, so he leapt into the air, shouting, "Konoha Senpuu!"

---

"That mission was awfully long…" Marieke groaned as she and several other jounin passed through the gate.

"It was too long if you ask me!" Gai exclaimed. "I wanted to see how Lee's operation came out sooner! I must see Hokage-sama immediately! Dear lord, I hope he's okay!"

Marieke sweat dropped as Gai ran off, stumbled over a rock, got up, and continued running like a maniac. She shook her head. "That guy…"

---

_Lee's not landing a hit! Taijutsu won't work on this guy…especially if he's moving around freely! So it looks like its time to try out my new technique! _Kyoko thought. She pulled out a number of needles and let them loose, arms widely spread.

Kimimaro saw them coming and he easily dodged both them _and _the green boy's punches. Suddenly, he felt a few stinging forces imbed themselves in his back. Then he realized the needles were _still _coming at him. He dodged the attacking needles once more along with Rock Lee's taijutsu. When he glanced back at the girl who was yards away, he noticed her moving her hands around in a strange way.

Lee aimed a strong kick, forcing Kimimaro to fall backwards to avoid it. The moment he did so, he saw two groups of needles fly towards him. He attempted to avoid them by turning to the side, but some of them still hit their target in the arms. Another attack from the taijutsu user and a dodge made it easy for Kyoko to get a few needles to hit his legs.

Kyoko smirked and jerked her arms back. "Phase one is complete. Now for Phase two!"

As if being pulled by some kind of invisible force, Kimimaro faltered forward. Lee saw his chance and immediately punched Kimimaro squarely in the face. Kimimaro's head snapped to the side and he grimaced. "What…"

"Figure it out yet?" Kyoko asked as she wiggled her fingers mockingly.

Kimimaro felt his body tense. He narrowed his eyes in realization. "…Chakra strings…"

"That's right!" Kyoko smiled. "It took forever to master these strings...Takes a lot of concentration, you know? But when I did, well…I had Tenten train with me. Not only that, but Kankuro gave me some pointers too!"

Kimimaro didn't know who these "Tenten" or "Kankuro" people were, but he knew he had to figure out how to get himself out of the chakra strings before that Lee fellow could continue beating him like a sack. He couldn't actually let these _children _defeat _him_ and get Orochimaru's future container back.

"Lee! Finish him!" Kyoko called.

"You got it! As soon as I drink my medicine!"

Silence.

"…Wha…?" Kyoko gaped.

Kimimaro gave Lee a questioning look as he pulled out a bottle and started chugging it. Once he was through, he gagged. "Medicine always has a bad after taste…" Then he faltered.

"…Lee…?"

Lee hiccupped. His cheeks flushed and his head bobbed to the sides waveringly.

Kimimaro stared.

"Wash're ya lookin' at, freak?!" Lee hollered, his voice unnaturally high.

_Oh crap…I know that look… _Kyoko thought.

* * *

I've been thinking a lot about the ending for this too. At first I had the ending all planned out, but after a lot of thought I'm not so sure anymore. I'm still debating over what type of ending would be best...hm...Ah well. I'll think later when my head isn't so jumbled. Anyway, R&R please!

-HM


	38. Saved! AKA A Drunken Lee

Okay, it's a little late in the day (in my area, that is) and I'm hecka tired. This battle was...interesting to write. Kind of tedious. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the battle, especially in the anime where its all action-y and kick-butt, but it's pretty difficult to write, especially since I'm probably about average at battle scenes. Sorry if I didn't do all that great, but I did my best. (sweat drop and innocent grin) I obviously used a lot from the manga. A LOT. Not very original on my part, but that's my fault for picking this kind of story to write. Anyway, here's the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

Kyoko shook her head abruptly and shouted, "Hey Lee! C'mon! He's right the…re…? Why…are you looking at me like that?"

Lee had his head turned in Kyoko's direction, a goofy grin on his face. He hiccupped.

"Saaakura-saaaan…"

"What?! I'm not Sakura!"

Kimimaro raised an eyebrow silently as the green-clad genin started moving away from him and towards the girl. What was going on?

"SakuRA-san!" Lee's tone seemed undecided and ranged from high to low. "I PROmised to proTECT you wi-ITH my LIFE."

"Uh…"

"SO I ask yOU!" Lee drawled as he unsteadily got onto one knee with his arms outstretched. "Please be my WIFE."

"EEEEEEEEEEEHHH!" Kyoko screeched.

While she screamed, Kimimaro was pondering how old those kids were and if that age was correct for marriage proposal. Before he could come to a conclusion, however, he suddenly felt easiness in his body. Kimimaro experimentally moved one of his hands and shifted his weight to the side. Piece of cake. The Sound Nin started plucking the needles from his body. Once he was through, he looked over at the fretting kunoichi and the passionate boy and understood immediately. This was his chance.

"L-Lee! I don't like you like that!" Kyoko screamed with an air of terror.

Lee cocked his head to the side drunkenly and a bit of drool escaped his mouth. His eyelids dropped slightly. Before Kyoko knew it, Lee had leapt towards her and she tumbled to the ground.

"GET OFF!" she shrieked as she flailed her arms about like a caught bird.

Lee got off and turned his head. Kyoko followed his gaze and saw Kimimaro right where she had been.

"AH! I LOST CONCENTRATION!" Kyoko panicked. "Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh!" she stuttered as she held her hands out in a fruitless attempt to fix the severed chakra strings. "Dang it, Lee! I totally lost it!" She tried to whack the drunken boy upside the head, but he simply caught her hand without even looking back.

"I will protECT Sakura-SAN!" Lee declared as he targeted Kimimaro.

Kyoko sat up and adjusted her forehead protector. As long as Lee wasn't doing THINGS to her, she was good. _The only problem is I won't be able to hold him still anymore. _

"Here I come!" Lee bellowed.

What came next was a series off attacks made by Lee with RIVETING Bruce Lee sound effects! HOOOOAAAAHHH!

Kyoko's mind became dizzy from watching Lee move. However, the more amazing part was that Kimimaro was able to dodge and block every single blow. Once Kimimaro thought he saw an opening, he called, "Dance of the Camelia!" Quicker than the eye, Kimimaro made his move on Lee, stabbing the sharp piece of bone in the direction of the Konoha genin. Now it was Lee's turn to dodge.

Miraculously, Kimimaro wasn't able to land one hit with his "dance". Kyoko couldn't believe her eyes. _He's so much better when he's drunk! _She thought. _If he were to battle Gaara like this…_

"Hoooaaaah!"

BAM!

Lee had finally managed to connect an attack with Kimimaro. Gradually, he started pushing Kimimaro back, and forcing a look of difficulty on the Sound Nin's face. With a hefty kick, he sent the older ninja flying. Lee grinned. "Hic."

"WHOO! GO LEE!" Kyoko cheered.

Kimimaro slowly stood up and removed the other upper half of his robe. (A/N: I don't know what to call it…or how to say it without sounding slightly inappropriate O.O) Odd patterns started to advance from the center of his pale chest.

Kyoko felt her stomach lurch as she saw Kimimaro's arm in the position that would suggest it were broken. Crackling sounds filled the air and bones started to rise out of his skin.

"My abilities or morphic bones," Kimimaro said eerily. "You know that well, don't you, girl?" He started to charge toward Kyoko, but Lee barred his path. Kimimaro swung his bone sword towards Lee, but Lee ducked. Unfortunately, Lee didn't anticipate Kimimaro's ability. The boy was instantly stabbed by Kimimaro's prickly ribcage and fell to the ground.

"Unpredictable…isn't it?" Kimimaro said stonily. "This is my bloodline limit."

_Lee's getting pushed back now, _Kyoko thought. _He's way too strong. Maybe if I call in some backup…I still have some more chakra left. _She made several hand signs for the summoning and slammed her hand on the ground. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

A puff of smoke rose from the ground and Kyoko leaned in closely to see what she had just conjured. A sweat drop appeared atop her head. "Eh…"

A small wolf cub sneezed as the smoke cleared. It was gray and white with big eyes and a cute demeanor. Completely and utterly worthless for fighting.

"Oh, I remember you!" Kyoko exclaimed. "You're the first complete wolf I summoned back when I sucked! Wait. That came out wrong…"

"W-Why did you summon me here?" the young wolf asked. "I-I'm no good at fighting yet!"

"It was an accident…" Kyoko admitted.

Kimimaro knocked Lee to the ground, startling the wolf that suddenly jumped into Kyoko's arms, shivering.

Kyoko caressed the wolf in a motherly way. "What's your name, little guy?"

"A-Ashi."

"Don't worry, Ashi," Kyoko smiled. "Lee's not gonna be defeated and I'll protect you." She looked back at Lee. It seemed he and Kimimaro were just about to get even more serious if it were possible. _At least…I hope…_

---

"So since your mission is to rescue that Uchiha guy, leave my mission to me," Kankuro said. "You go on ahead and see if you can get farther ahead to help your remaining teammates recover him. My advice is to avoid anything else going on. Temari and Gaara are more than likely to be helping out already."

Nami nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Kiba's nearby, I can sense it. Don't screw anything up."

"That's my line."

The two split up in two different directions and proceeded with the mission.

_You'd better not cross the border before I get to you, Uchiha, _Nami thought.

---

_Lee's not drunk anymore, _Kyoko thought. _Is that a good thing or a bad thing? _She clutched Ashi gingerly, her eyes glued to the two shinobi in front of her.

Lee started unraveling the bandages on his arms, making Kyoko gasp. _What?! He's going to…!_

"Omote Renge!" Lee hollered as he leaned back to kick Kimimaro skyward. Unfortunately for him, Kimimaro's ribcage contorted into a thicket of bones and clung onto Lee's leg, rendering him helpless.

"Impressive speed. But this is the end."

Before she realized what she was doing, Kyoko had jumped up and sped towards Kimimaro with a kunai in her hand. She flipped over Kimimaro and thrust the kunai towards the Kaguya's back in order to interrupt his attack on Lee. Her quick eyes noticed the bones pushing out a mile away and she leapt back with a grunt. The wound in her side still felt like a thousand needles through the side.

"So you still have some fight left in you," Kimimaro said emotionlessly, his arm out in mid-stretch targeting Lee. "Very well."

_Long range…gotta use long range and keep him from hitting me or Lee, _Kyoko thought as she pulled out several projectiles. She flung them in Kimimaro's direction, but he merely knocked them away with the bones sticking out of his arm. Kyoko narrowed her eyes. _Weapons won't help this time around…if only I had a jutsu like Nami's or Midori's…_ She shook her head in frustration. _No! I've gotta use _my _skills! Think, Kyoko, think! _

"Are you simply going to stand there?" Kimimaro asked her.

"Kyoko, run away!" Lee ordered.

_The least I could do is get Lee free, _Kyoko thought. _We obviously can't beat this guy, but at least we bought some time for Naruto. If I cut off Kimimaro's arm…_ She pulled out a scroll, bit her finger, and ran her blood against the parchment. A second later, a samurai's katana was grasped firmly in her hands. She dashed, aiming to cut off Kimimaro's arm and sliced down.

_SHING. _

Kyoko's eyes widened. "W-What?!"

"Stupid girl," Kimimaro said. "My bones cannot be broken by a mere blade." His bones swiftly started encasing her, forcing her into the same predicament as Lee.

Kyoko cursed under her breath. _Great…smooth move, Kyoko…_ "Sorry, Lee," she muttered sadly.

"It is not your fault."

"Which one of you would like to die first?" Kimimaro asked. "It doesn't matter to me at all. Or if you'd like, I could crush both of your body and strike your hearts at the same time."

Just as he was about to crush both of them, sand erupted in his face, forcing him to shield his face and let go of the two Konoha genin. They, in turn, fell over backwards several yards away.

_Sand! _Kyoko thought as she found herself in a pile of sand that had softened her fall. Only one person came to mind. She turned around to see Gaara standing not too far behind. He had Aashi in one arm. "Gaara!"

"Konoha's allies, the shinobi of Suna," Gaara recited.

Lee's face was filled with shock and confusion while Kyoko's was sporting happiness and relief.

"Sabaku no Gaara…?" Lee said.

At that moment, bullets of fingertip bones fired at the three. Luckily, Gaara's sand made more than an effective shield against the projectiles. As the small bones fell from the sand, Gaara said, "You're too hasty." He glanced at Lee. "When you fought me before, you had more speed and edge to your steps."

"Like you had nothing to do with it," Lee sighed as he began to sit up. "I am not holding any grudges, but I have gone through quite a bit of a hassle because of you."

"I see…" Gaara muttered. "And you."

"Me?" Kyoko said, pointing to herself.

"What happened to your sharp and observant character? It's a strange move, charging at the enemy like that."

A dark and stormy cloud rained down over Kyoko's head. Then, a thought occurred to her. _Wait…Sharp and observant? Was that partly…a _compliment

"And I believe this is yours," Gaara said, as he dropped Ashi in Kyoko's arms.

"

"What are you doing here anyway?" Lee asked.

"I owe Konoha a large debt," Gaara answered.

---

_Two…three chakras coming up. One's powerful but… _Nami thought. _Can't interfere. It can't be Uchiha. _Her instincts told her to take a different route, so she turned her direction to the left and continued on. She pushed harder off a branch, trying to quicken her step. _There's no way I can let that guy leave, not after everything everyone's been through…and also… _

---

"I'll handle this," Gaara said.

"No!" Lee argued. "You can be the backup."

Kyoko was about to punch Lee when the boy suddenly fell to the ground. She the noticed a hand of sand grabbing onto his leg.

"Please let go!" Lee whined as he shook his leg.

"You can't do anything right now," Gaara said.

"Yeah, Lee, leave it to Gaara and m—"

"You can't d o anything either."

"WHAT?! But Gaara—" She instantly stopped talking as sand snaked around her own body.

"I'll handle this," Gaara repeated.

"O-Okay…"

"Sabaku no Gaara," Kimimaro said. "Like your alias states, you use sand."

"Careful, Gaara!" Kyoko warned. "He uses his own bones as weapons! He can make them grow out of his body and manipulate them! And it's really gross to watch…"

The bones in Kimimaro's chest started to recede and his fingers started opening up, causing Kyoko to shiver. She watched as Kimimaro attacked Gaara with the bone bullets again, but to no avail. Every attack he made seemed to sink right into Gaara's sand, and Gaara didn't have to move an inch.

_He's so strong, _Kyoko thought with a smile. _It's true I thought we wouldn't be able to win at the beginning but… _She stroked Ashi's fur softly and lowered her head. "Now I know we can win."

Gaara covered Kimimaro in pounds of sand and lifted him into the air. He outstretched his hand and closed it into a fist. As a result, the sand crushed inward, spraying blood in a few directions.

Several long seconds passed and it seemed that they had won. That is, until a hand pushed out of the bloodied sand.

Kyoko gasped as she saw the curse mark-covered Kimimaro pull himself out of the sand coffin with spots of bones visible. The Sound Nin's shoulders were heavy and his glare was full of hatred.

"Those bones…" Gaara muttered. "He's another monster."

"That is a tricky body," Lee remarked gravely.

Kyoko shuddered, and she could feel Ashi's body shaking as well. _So Sabaku Sousou doesn't work against him…_

"What pressure," Kimimaro commented. "If I didn't create these bone masks right under my skin, I would've been crushed. I was taking you too lightly. But this will never catch me again."

Gaara widened his stance and clapped his hands together. _Sabaku Bakuryu! _

The ground started to shake sand rose in a huge tidal wave over Kimimaro's being. The wave picked and carried him like the waves in an ocean. He was soon lost from sight, for it buried the Kaguya as well as many trees underneath.

"Did you get him?"

"No." He placed his hands on the ground and the sand started to move again. "How persistent."

Kyoko stared out into the sea of sand and something caught her eye. _A spiked tail?!_

"What…_is _he?" Lee muttered.

Sand started swirling around the place where Kimimaro was taking cover. Once again, it encased the figure that seemed to be attempting to get away while the pile formed. Even after the sand compressed, Kimimaro was still moving. Slowly but surely, Kimimaro's body started to escape the sand.

_That's Kimimaro?! _Kyoko thought as a shiver ran down her spine.

Kimimaro had jagged bones sticking out of his back and a spiked tail like a stegosaurus. He charged at Gaara, who had touched the ground firmly, creating a wall of sand that shot up from the earth. A second later, Gaara went flying. Kimimaro had broken through the barrier.

"Gaara!" Kyoko cried.

"Your absolute defense that was garnered such high praise is at its limit?" Kimimaro mocked. "What a shame…"

Kyoko clenched her fist.

"But of course…you were covered in sand to begin with…"

"Shut up/He's not your only opponent!" Kyoko shouted, not noticing she and Lee had spoken at the same time. She aimed a punch to Kimimaro's stomach while Lee targeted a kick at his head.

Kimimaro's tail whipped around and struck Lee. Luckily, Gaara's sand had appeared at just the right moment and softened the blow ever so slightly. Kyoko had been immediately stopped by a wall of sand before she could get any further than a few feet. She grimaced.

"Your sand is starting to annoy me," Kimimaro said dangerously. "You'll be the first to die…Gaara." A sickening noise sounded as he proceeded to pull out his spine. He whisked it out in one pull and glared at Gaara. "Dance of the Clematis."

Gaara created a sand defense around him and Kimimaro quickly swung his spine around the Suna shinobi. He then bent his arm as a large, drill-like bone started to grow.

"This is the thickest bone in my body," Kimimaro said. "It will easily pierce through you and your pathetic defense of sand."

"No!" Kyoko screamed. "Gaara!" She tried to run, but sand was wrapping itself around her, holding her body in place. _Even like this, he still doesn't want interference?! _"Gaara!"

Kimimaro coughed and blood fell from his mouth. _My time is almost up…_

Gaara lowered his gaze slightly and sand started to shift. It soon formed into a bulky animal with designs all over its body. The animal was standing right in Kimimaro's path, blocking him. _Saikou Zettai Bougyo Shukaku no Tate! _

"It's all right, Kyoko-san!" Lee called. "Even though his defense looks odd, I'm sure he'll be—" Lee stopped abruptly when Kimimaro shot his arm forward.

CRACK.

Suddenly, the bone broke into thousands of pieces. The moment it hit the sand, it shattered.

_Amazing, _Kyoko thought with a smile. _Lee was right all along...I shouldn't be so eager to run in and save him. I guess it doesn't work that way… _

Lee's gasp pulled her out of her thoughts and her eyes widened when she saw the huge sinkhole of sand that was sucking Kimimaro down. Soon, not even his head was visible.

"It's finished now, isn't it?" Lee said, relieved.

"Wait a second…" Kyoko said quietly.

"Dance…DANCE OF THE SEEDLING FERNS!"

In the blink of an eye, bones sharper than daggers started shooting up out of the ground. In next to no time, the field had now become an ocean of speared bones.

Kyoko screamed.

"What?! Are you hurt, Kyoko-san?! Did the bones hit you?!"

"THIS IS AMAZING!" Kyoko exclaimed as she held her arms out.

"Oh…"

"You saved us, Gaara!" Kyoko said, grinning ear-to-ear as Ashi clung to Kyoko for dear life. "Even Ashi! Amazing! Thank you!"

"I always use the sand to carry me," Gaara said. "It's a simple task."

Kyoko grinned again. She loved the feeling of sitting on a cloud of sand many feet above ground.

"What about that guy?" Lee asked.

"He was a stubborn person, but this is the end," Gaara said. "He won't come back out."

Kyoko suddenly frowned. A chilly feeling ran through her body and she instinctively turned around. "Behind!"

"It's not brainwashing…" Kimimaro's tone was dark. "It's all my own reasoning." His arm contorted into a bone and he hollered, "WHAT THE HELL WOULD YOU KNOW?!"

_Drip. Drip. _

Blood dropped slowly to the earth below. Kyoko opened her eyes.

"I'm…dying…"

* * *

FINALLY IT IS OVER. Geez. Kimimaro just won't DIE. And my computer is so pain-stakingly slow to load the manga pages...o well. Again, sorry if its kind of...boring? Stupid? Bad? I don't know, but whatever the reason, sorry. Good news is, the mission's almost over! WHOO. (gets ready to throw party) I love you guys. I don't know exactly how many more chapters are left, but I'm so happy to have everyone reading. THANK YOU. 

R&R please!

Until next time!

-HM


	39. Not For You

Thanks for the reviews, everyone! I can't believe I'm about to hit 200! Who's gonna be the lucky 200th reviewer? Oh, the suspense...

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

_What is that? A bunch of…bones? Man…gotta go around! _Nami thought, aggravated. _At this rate I'll never get there in time! Friggin' Sasgay…going so far! I'm gonna kill you!_

---

Kyoko peered at the two boys she was sitting between against a few trees. Lee looked positively bet and Gaara looked mildly tired, though that probably meant he was _extremely _tired. Ashi was asleep in her lap, and she was way too tired to figure out how to dismiss him. Not to mention they usually just disappeared on their own.

"We would have been completely beaten, wouldn't we?" Gaara said.

"No, that's wrong," Lee insisted. "My sensei said to me...that luck is a part of real strength."

"That busy-body…"

"He's _not _a busy body! That was because of my own cowardice! Stop talking about my sensei that way!"

"Lee…" Kyoko said tiredly. Now she knew how Midori felt.

"You too…" Gaara muttered. "If the one you admire is insulted, you become enraged. If the person you admire is important to you…"

This caught both Lee and Kyoko's attention.

"He…was the same as Uzumaki Naruto," Gaara said distantly. "Only…the person that's important to you isn't always good…"

"You don't have to take someone bad as your important person," Lee said.

"No…even if you know they're bad…a person can't defeat loneliness."

Lee seemed deep in thought after that. "I think I will stretch a little bit."

"Are you crazy? You must be so sore!" Kyoko exclaimed.

"Yes, but stretching always loosens up my sore limbs! Besides, I will be able to keep watch if any other enemies take a chance!"

"…Whatever you say, Lee…"

Lee stood up and walked several yards away.

"You're right, Gaara," Kyoko said after a few seconds and looking at Gaara. "But…Many people choose what's good to them, right? Even if they seem bad…maybe if people look at it in a different light, then their ways are good. At least to the person who finds them important. Usually nobody ever digs that deep anyway, and just assume they're bad."

Gaara gazed at her thoughtfully.

"Of course…I don't know how there would be anything good about Orochimaru," Kyoko said with a chuckle.

"You kept calling my name."

"Huh?"

"Every time you see me, you call my name," Gaara said. "And every time I'm in danger, you call my name. Even before Konoha and Suna became allies. Is that why?"

"Is what why?"

"Because you saw me in a different light. Am I…important to you?"

Kyoko's cheeks turned considerably pink and she lowered her head sheepishly. "Well, yeah. Of course. I don't have to think to answer that question."

"Why?"

"B-Because…nobody else did. Everyone needs _someone _to find them important, right? And…well…also…I…" Kyoko stuttered.

"Love."

"W-WHA?" Kyoko gaped. Shock was written all over her face.

"Love. It isn't a word I can easily throw around easily," Gaara said as if he hadn't noticed her expression. "There are so many questions that I don't have answers to about life and I'm not completely sure about what 'love' really is. And yet what you described seemed to be a part of what it means. Uzumaki Naruto taught me a little about it too…You and Uzumaki Naruto…Are the same."

Kyoko sweat dropped. "Um…Thank you?" _Me? Like Naruto? And Kimimaro's like Naruto too, he said! So I'm like Kimimaro too?! My brain hurts! _"You're a little bit strange sometimes, Gaara," she said good-naturedly. "But I still like you." She suddenly clapped her hands over her mouth as Gaara turned his head. "Eep! I-I mean…that is to say…u-um…"

"I like you too."

Kyoko gasped. "Y-You do? Really?"

Gaara nodded as if it were a completely normal thing to say to a girl. "You remind me of Uzumaki Naruto."

Kyoko face-faulted. "Oh…Naruto again…" _Oh Gaara…If only it was me and not Naruto who was your first friend, you would be comparing me with everyone else… _She slumped against the tree in defeat.

---

_Why am I doing this? _Nami thought as she flew through the trees. She had just rounded the field where Lee, Kyoko, Gaara, and Kimimaro had fought and was now back-on-track. _I hate Sasuke, don't I? So then why am I killing myself over trying to get to him before he gets past the border? Why…?_

Memories of the Uchiha she deemed "Sasgay" long ago flashed through her mind. She remembered the first time she saw Sasuke, and how she just felt the urge to insult and challenge him, the time in the Forest of Death, and just the plain annoyed way he always looked when he saw her. That was the face she…

What was the word? Enjoyed? Liked?

…

Loved?

She looked up at the darkened sky and shook her head abruptly as she pushed off another tree branch. No…That couldn't be it. She had told her friends many, many times: She hated Sasuke. She couldn't stand him. She wanted to kick his butt, though she realized she never really had. The worst she had done to Sasuke would've probably been pulling a prank on him. Or making him kiss Naruto. But man, that prank was awesome.

_**Flashback**_

**Need…food…sugary food…**_** Nami thought as she hungrily observed the stores and restaurants around the village. She had recently discovered the wonders of Konoha's sweets while going grocery shopping for Midori. Midori had to listen to hours of her complaining about how she never got the good stuff and Midori never let her go out to buy food for them again. The more responsible teammate also cut Nami off from her snacking and gotten rid of her sugar stash. Not to mention "Demon Midori" (the new nickname Nami had given her teammate) said no food after meals, which brought her here today, scavenging for the sweet, sweet sugar.**_

_**Nami plastered herself to the display window outside a bakery and gazed at the frosting-covered goods. She licked her lips and her eyes sparkled. Then she realized she had no money and the items weren't exactly for free. Her shoulders slumped as she stalked off, hoping someone with a free sample tray would show up by chance.**_

_**The next best thing appeared. **_

"_**Hey Uchiha!"**_

_**Sasuke, who had been standing in front of a sweets shop, turned at the sound of his name and immediately made a face. "What do you want?"**_

"_**What're you doing here? I thought you hated sweets."**_

"_**I do," Sasuke answered. "I just came from the place next door."**_

"_**Oh." Nami turned her attention to said store and started cracking up. "Hair products?"**_

"_**You got a problem with that? Unlike some people, I stay clean."**_

_**Nami stopped laughing and said, "And what's that supposed to mean?"**_

"_**Look, don't you have something better to do than to bother me?" Sasuke snapped. **_

"_**No, wait, don't go!" Nami grabbed his shoulder when he started to leave. "I need you to do something for me!"**_

"_**What?!"**_

_**Nami gave him her best big-eyed, puppy-dog face. "Can you spare a modest, young damsel some money?"**_

"_**Modest, young damsel?" Sasuke repeated doubtfully. "You?"**_

"_**Yes me!" she insisted.**_

"_**Yeah right. And didn't Midori cut you off from junk food and sweets?"**_

"_**How did you know?!" Nami gasped. "Are you **_**spying **_**on me?!"**_

"_**What do **_**you **_**think?" Sasuke rolled his eyes.**_

"_**YES."**_

"_**If you must know, Naruto told me."**_

"_**Yeah right. Nice excuse."**_

"_**How do you expect me to pay for you if you act like this?"**_

"_**So you **_**are **_**going to pay for me?"**_

"_**No!"**_

"_**But you said—"**_

"_**Sasuke-kun!"**_

_**Sasuke cursed under his breath and ran into the nearest shop AKA the sweets shop, and Nami quickly followed suit.**_

"_**What're you running for? It's just Ino," Nami whispered to him as he hid himself behind a stack of menus. **_

"_**You don't know anything. She's been constantly hanging around me ever since Sakura cut her hair," Sasuke said quietly. **_

"_**So?"**_

"_**Just shut up. Or better yet, leave me alone."**_

"_**Not unless you buy me something. We're already in here, so why not?"**_

"_**Because I'm not letting you swindle me into spending money on something worthless!"**_

"_**Well if that's the case…" Nami said as she stood up and moving outside. **_

"_**What the hell are you doing?"**_

"_**Calling Ino over. I'm sure **_**she'd **_**buy me something! Probably something for you too," Nami said, grinning slyly. **_

"_**No!" Sasuke hissed. "Sit down!" **_

"_**Will you buy me something?"**_

"_**No!"**_

"_**Oh In—"**_

"_**Okay, fine! Just sit down!"**_

**Hook, line, and sinker, **_**Nami thought. She took one of the menus that Sasuke had stacked and looked it over, searching for the priciest thing there. The waitress came to take their orders a few minutes later. After taking Nami's order, (Sasuke just got water) she seemed to look at Nami with envious eyes. Nami shrugged it off. **_

_**After a while, Sasuke stood up. **_

"_**Where are you going? They didn't give us the bill yet!"**_

"_**Bathroom," Sasuke replied. **_

"_**Fine," Nami said. "But if I hear a window open…"**_

"_**There **_**are **_**no windows, stupid."**_

"_**How am I supposed to know that?!" Nami argued, but Sasuke had already left. **_

_**When Nami's sweet food came along with Sasuke's water, Nami got an idea. An awful idea. Nami got a wonderful, AWFUL idea! **_

"_**Excuse me," Nami said, tapping the waitress on the shoulder as she passed by. "Could you get me some hot sauce?"**_

_**The waitress gave her a funny look, but left and returned with a small bottle of hot sauce anyway.**_

"_**Thanks." **_

_**When Sasuke came back, Nami was just about done with her food. After swallowing, she said, "Thanks a lot for buying, Uchiha! Midori's gonna be so surprised!"**_

"_**Don't tell her," Sasuke ordered. **_

"_**Why? Cuz she'll rip your eyes out? Nah."**_

"_**I'm not afraid of your teammate," Sasuke said, rolling his eyes. "I have a reputation."**_

"_**Yeah, yeah. I wouldn't want anyone to know about me going out with you anyway."**_

"**You **_**going out with **_**me**_**?" Sasuke said with disbelief. **_

"_**You gonna drink your water?" Nami asked, changing the subject. "I bet taking a whiz is thirsty work for guys!" **_

_**Sasuke raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He started to pick up the cup of water when the waitress came over and slid them their bill.**_

"_**Here you go, cutie," the waitress said to Sasuke.**_

_**Nami rolled her eyes and pretended to gag.**_

_**Sasuke put the cup to his lips as he dug in his pocket for his wallet. Once he tipped the cup, his face tuned red. **_

_**Nami snorted and covered her mouth. "W-What's wrong, Uchiha?" she fumbled as she attempted to keep her laughter in. She ducked just in time as water dotted with red flew over her head. **_

_**Sasuke dashed into a bathroom and the sound of water running was faintly heard. Then a feminine scream. **_

_**--- **_

"_**Heh, sorry Uchiha, but I couldn't resist," Nami snickered. "You running into the girls' bathroom was just a bonus."**_

_**Sasuke muttered something incomprehensible and walked away. "I've had enough of you," he spat. **_

_**Nami frowned and lowered her head. **_

_**End Flashback**_

_Now that I think of it…why was I so…disappointed that he said that? _Nami thought. _I don't think…I've ever felt this way before…Maybe it _is _possible that I…_

BOOM!

Nami's ears rung as she heard an explosion nearby. After flying through what seemed to be the last set of trees, she was instantly pushed back by a wave of bright force that burned her skin. She shielded her eyes from the light and ducked her head behind her arms, falling back onto the ground less than gracefully. Taking cover behind a thick trunk, she waited for the gusts to cease.

As she felt less pressure in the air, she cautiously looked around the trunk. She gasped quietly when she saw a figure and immediately started to run. "U-Uchiha! Uchiha!"

Sasuke, who had his back to Nami, turned his head. His eyes black eyes seemed emotionless and his forehead protector was gone. When she got closer, she saw Naruto lying unconscious in front of Sasuke and a slashed hitai-ate as well.

"Otouto…Naruto…" She stared at Sasuke angrily. "You did this to him?! Why?!"

"He…was my best friend."

"And what's that supposed to mean?! That doesn't make any sense!" Nami stepped forward, perfectly in eye contact with Sasuke. "Why are you leaving?!"

"That's none of your concern," Sasuke answered.

Nami clenched her fist and aimed a punch at Sasuke. "You ba—"

Sasuke easily caught her fist, holding her in place. Sasuke stared at her, feeling her fist shaking. However, it didn't feel like she was trying to use pure strength to connect. It felt more like…she was weakening.

At that moment, it started to rain. Precipitation mixed with the salty tears of none other than Nami.

"Why are you leaving?" Nami choked. "So many people care about you back home. So why don't you just stay? If getting stronger is what you want…I…_we _can help you with that. All of us."

Sasuke looked down at her then dropped her hand. "Nobody can stop me. I've made my decision. I didn't stay for Sakura, and I'm not staying for you."

Nami opened her mouth to argue, but then Sasuke's hand shot out, striking one of her pressure points. She immediately started falling backwards as everything started to get blurry.

…_Sasuke…_

_Thump._

_...I couldn't…_

She felt Sasuke's strong arms set her down lightly on the cold, wet ground.

…_Stop you…_

---

"What's the status report on the girl?"

"I'd say she was just knocked out. Her chakra's almost completely drained but her injuries aren't serious. Only her wrist was broken and a few shallow wounds here or there, and even her wrist was already party treated. Can't say the same for the others…"

Nami's eyelids fluttered open and she sat up, quick as a bullet. "Others? What happened to the others?"

The two medic nin who had been talking turned their attention to her, surprised that she had awoken.

"Lay back down, Nami-san," one medic advised as he made gestures for her to do just that. "You're chakra is extremely low."

"Then answer my question," Nami said.

The other medic nin sighed. "Uzumaki Naruto and Akimichi Chouji are in critical conditions in several areas. Hyuuga Neji and Hikari Midori as well. They both have grave wounds, holes straight through their bodies. Inuzuka Kiba has a fatal wound to the stomach, but he'll live. Shimizu Kyoko has a large slash on the side of her body that'll take some time to fix, but she'll be okay. Nara Shikamaru was lucky, with only a broken finger. You were all pretty beat up, though, so it's best to rest."

"What're the chances of everyone with fatal wounds living?"

The medic nin exchanged glances. "Neji, Midori, and Chouji's survival are still pending."

Nami was about to jump out of bed and run to wherever she thought Midori's room could be when the two medics held her down. "Hey! Lemme go!"

"You said you'd rest! Don't make me knock you out!"

Nami stopped struggling, mostly because she was feeling awfully fatigued, so she laid her head on her pillow and stared up at the white ceiling. Soon, the medics left and she had a chance to think things over alone. Sasuke had crossed the border and had now become a missing nin, that much was certain, and Nami hadn't even put up a fight to stop him. Usually it was Midori's job to scold Nami, but this time Nami felt like doing it herself.

_Midori…_ Nami thought. _And Kyoko…Those medics said that they were badly injured. Even if they turn out okay, you can't erase pain like that from existence…I hope they're okay._

Just then, the door opened. Nami sat up to see Kyoko walking in.

"Thy said you were awake," Kyoko explained. She was wearing clean, white hospital clothes, a few bandages peeking out from underneath her collar and a few band-aids and such on her face. "You okay?"

"Yeah…" Nami replied. She turned to Kyoko and said, "The medics told me that you and the other guys were pretty beat up."

Kyoko frowned. "Yeah. Midori's still unconscious and Shizune and some other elite medics are performing some kind of jutsu on her and Neji to heal them. Shikamaru's okay, though. I don't know about Chouji or Naruto…"

"I see."

It was then Shizune came in, a look of pure happiness on her face. "So you're up! Good!"

"Whar's up, Shizune?" Nami questioned.

"Everyone is all right," Shizune smiled. "The operation was a success! Both Hyuuga Neji and Hikari Midori are going to be just fine!"

Kyoko and Nami let out breaths of relief.

---

"I hope everyone's all right," Asuma said.

"Yeah, but I heard most of them were gravely wounded," Kurenai said unhappily.

"How…did their mission go?" Marieke asked quietly. She and the other two jounin were walking to the hospital to visit their students presently.

"Kakashi said that they retrieved Midori but…" Asuma trailed off.

"No Sasuke, huh?"

"No."

"I can't believe Hokage-sama sent those genin," Kurenai said, shaking her head. "Even if they're skilled and talented, it's a surprise they were able to save anyone."

"Yeah, it's dangerous stuff," Asuma agreed.

Marieke was just silent. After a while, she said, "Hokage-sama will be at the hospital, right?"

"Most likely. Why?"

"There's something I want to speak to her concerning my students."

* * *

I should probably hide since the flashback was not only a FLASHBACK but it was fillery too, huh? There are a lot of time holes in my story, I know, but it can't be helped...in my case, at least. Is it me, or am I getting cornier and cornier every chapter? Mushy romance isn't my thing, so I don't know why I keep having the urge to write it. XD Oh well. R&R please!

If anyone's wondering whatever happened to old extinct site (the one I share with Kyoko and Nami) it's under construction at the moment and SHOULD be up around next week. If it is, I'll tell ya in the next update and the link will be in my profile again. Just a little tidbit info for those of you who care. (grin)

Until next time...!

-HM


	40. Promises

And the lucky 200th reviewer is...Amaya Zorifuki! YAY! Internet cake for everyone!

And thank you all who reviewed! And that would be...RebelFlame, Amaya Zorifuki, Bloody Angel X, tru-viet, PrankesterofKonoha, KankuroFangirl, and SageofAges729 in that order! (gives a round of applause) Thank you all! I'm so grateful!

BIG NEWS! Remember that clunky old website AizoAnime that was put up once and then died? Well, it is now REVIVED! And today is the big opening! I'll tell you more at the end of the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

_Augh…my stomach hurts…so much… _Midori thought drowsily as she sat up. Then everything came back to her. She tossed the blanket off of her body and stared at her body and lifted the end of her shirt to see that her stomach was completely normal. "Must be medical ninjutsu…" Midori said to herself. "I've really got to start getting better…"

"If you keep talking to yourself like that, people will start to think you're strange."

Midori gasped and pulled her shirt back down so she wouldn't expose her stomach. Then she looked toward the person who spoke and paled considerably. The person was Neji, no surprise there. But what _was _a surprise was that Neji was shirtless.

_You're a big girl, Midori. This isn't the first time you've seen…okay…maybe it is… _Midori averted her eyes. Neji instantly noticed that Midori's expression was of utmost embarrassment, he looked around for a shirt to wear. Luckily, he found a hospital shirt sitting on the bedside table next to him and quickly slipped it over his head.

"So um…" Midori said lamely. "It looks like…our wounds are healed."

Neji nodded. Then he stared at her for a second. "Your hair is…different."

"What?" She looked around the room for a mirror but to no avail. However, she noticed a window and walked over to examine her reflection. "Oh…you're right. It's shorter." She turned around to see Neji inspecting the tail to his hair as well. "I've heard of a healing jutsu that uses a sample from a person to convert it into different types of cells. It's really advanced so the medics probably used some of our hair to repair the damage to our body."

"I see."

An awkward silence descended upon the room as Midori stared out the window blankly. Neji joined her, and although hesitant, spoke. "Is being a shinobi really your kind of style, Midori?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's nothing personal," Neji said. "It's just that you don't seem the type to be a ninja. You just don't have…the intent to kill. Understand?"

"Yeah…"

"The situation we were in against that sound nin isn't unlike any other situation that shinobi would have every day. To put it bluntly, it's dangerous. You'd be forced to kill other people. You just don't seem like the kind of person to do that. Do you think you'd be able to handle it?"

"You sound like my sensei," Midori said with a half-hearted smile. "Are you telling me that you're worried, Neji?"

"I just don't think you're well to fight in the field."

"Thanks for your concern, but I decided a long time ago, ever since I came here, what I wanted to be," Midori said. "I want to be a medic nin."

"By yourself?" Neji questioned skeptically.

"Well um…"

It was then the door opened to reveal Shizune and two medic nin clad in white at her sides. "Oh good! You two are up already!"

"You did say that the operation was flawless, Shizune-san," one medic pointed out.

"Thank you for the operation, Shizune-san," Midori said, bowing.

"Yes," Neji agreed, following Midori's lead. "We're still alive thanks to you."

"Anyone would've done it," Shizune said, waving it off. "You two must stay in the hospital for about a day for precautions. If all goes well, you may leave tonight."

"All right," Neji said, though he didn't look happy.

Shizune smiled and said, "Well I need to check up on the other patients. You two check Neji-kun and Midori-chan's statuses." She started walking out the door, but she felt a light tap on her shoulder so she turned around. "Yes?"

"Um…Shizune-san…" Midori said as she walked into the hallway with Shizune. "I was wondering if maybe…you could get Tsunade-sama to teach me medical ninjutsu."

"Eh?"

"Er, if it's not too much trouble!" Midori said quickly. "I-I really want to…learn it. I want to protect and save lives. Fighting isn't really my thing, and I haven't really gotten all that far on my own…so…"

"I'm sorry, Midori-chan," Shizune said with a frown, "But Tsunade-sama is training Sakura. I know for one that she never takes more than one apprentice at once."

Midori lowered her head. "Oh. All right. Thanks for…telling me."

"But…"

Midori lifted her gaze with a hopeful look in her eyes.

"I think…I could train you."

Midori's mouth contorted into a large smile. "R-Really?"

"Of course!" Shizune said. "I was trained by Tsunade-sama myself, and I remember clearly how she taught me! I may not be legendary, but if you'll allow me…"

"Yes…Yes!" Midori nodded eagerly then clasped her hands together and bowed many times. "Thank you, thank you very much, Shizune-san!"

"Shizune_-sensei_ now," Shizune smiled.

"And I see you're well."

"Marieke-sensei!" Midori exclaimed.

"Hey, Midori," Marieke said, placing a hand fondly on her student's head. "Good to see you're back."

"Thanks. Did you check on Nami and Kyoko?"

"Yes, and they're perfectly fine. I wouldn't be worried. After all, your injury was pretty nasty I hear."

Midori flushed slightly. "Yeah but…Shizune-sensei healed both Neji and me."

"Shizune_-sensei_?"

"Shizune-sensei will be my sensei in medical ninjutsu," Midori beamed.

"Oh really?" Marieke said, turning to Shizune. "Well, Shizune, I'd like to ask if you know where Hokage-sama is."

"She left for her office to do some work."

"Thank you."

As her sensei left, Midori wondered what Marieke wanted from Tsunade. However, her thoughts were interrupted by one of the medic nin who had asked for her to perform a few tests so he could check up how well her condition was.

Once Marieke left the building, she headed straight for the Hokage Tower. A memory flashed through her mind.

_**Flashback**_

"_**Just be careful. I'm sure Orochimaru has or will be receiving the information of you all soon. If worst comes to worst, I promise to protect you all with my life."**_

_**End Flashback**_

"When I said that, I meant by all means necessary…" Marieke said to herself. "Sorry girls, but this is for your own good." She entered the tower and saw Izumo and Kotetsu standing with their backs leaning against the wall in the main room. She acknowledged them with a small wave.

"What's up, Marieke-san?" Izumo asked.

"I'd like to see Hokage-sama."

"Sure. Follow us."

Kotetsu knocked lightly on the door and opened it. "Someone's here to see you, Hokage-sama."

"All right, all right."

Marieke walked in and bowed respectfully. "Hokage-sama, you know my team, is that right?"

"Hm…The all-kunoichi team," Tsunade nodded, clasping her hands together in a dignified way. "Yes. What about them?"

"They just came back from the rescue mission and were badly injured."

"I'm aware of that. They're all fine."

"Yes, but the thing is, I'd like you to ban the girls from receiving any missions above D-Rank and out of the village."

"Why is that? You know better than I do that its crucial for all teams to complete higher ranked missions during this time, no matter what rank."

"Yes, but this is a special case."

"How so?"

"I will explain, but I must ask that you listen until the end and give no judgment until then."

"Very well."

Marieke then proceeded to explain what the girls had told her as best as she could. She couldn't read the Godaime Hokage's expressions, so she wasn't able to conclude whether or not Tsunade thought she was a loony. Once she finished, she stared at the Hokage, awaiting a reaction with a serious face.

"Interesting story, Marieke."

"It isn't a story, Hokage-sama."

"Right, right. Look, I'd like to believe you, but I'm going to need more proof than that to ban them from missions over D-Rank. If you can't prove they'll be in danger, I can't waste another team's responsibility."

Marieke frowned. "What do you recommend?"

"I'd say send them on a mission outside of Konoha," Tsunade said.

"I'll be there, right?"

"Of course. It'll just be a C-Ranked mission, simple delivery assistance and guard duty to Kiba no Kuni. This mission will take a few days, and in that time, if anyone is after them, they would surely attack. If all goes well, I'll know that there's nothing to worry about."

"Isn't that a little reckless?"

"Are you questioning my suggestion?"

"…Of course not, Hokage-sama."

"Excellent. Be her with your students bright and early tomorrow. I also request you bring along Uzumaki Naruto."

"Uzumaki Naruto," Marieke repeated, a bit surprised.

"Yes. Any further questions?"

"No."

"Good. Dismissed."

---

"A mission? Finally!" Kyoko cheered.

Marieke was genuinely surprised. "You girls are ready to go out on a mission after all you've been through already?"

"Yeah, of course," Kyoko said. "We have to train to get stronger, and missions are the best training!"

"Didja figure that out all by yourself?" Nami teased.

"Konoha must have a remarkable amount of mission to complete if they're giving us a C-Rank after the one before…" Midori murmured. "How long will it be, sensei?"

"Several days at the least," Marieke replied. "Oh, and one more thing. Uzumaki Naruto will be accompanying us as well."

"Huh? Why him?" Nami questioned.

"Hokage-sama requested him herself."

"Okay…"

"I'll alert Kakashi and we will all meet tomorrow morning at the entrance gate," Marieke continued. "That's where the delivery unit will be. Until then, I want you all to prepare." Then she promptly dissipated in a cloud of smoke.

"I'm going to go pack," Midori said right away. "Are you guys coming?"

"We've got hours," Nami shrugged as she leaned back. "I wanna relax before we do another boring mission."

"Do what you want," her teammate sighed as she left.

Kyoko subsequently stood up herself and started to take her leave, causing Nami to sit up and say, "Where are _you _going?"

"None of your business," was Kyoko's answer.

Nami made a face at the back of her teammate's head and lay back down. Whatever Kyoko wanted to do didn't terribly snag her curiosity…much. Besides, Nami had more important things to think about.

Unbeknownst to either of her friends, Kyoko had gone to one of the public training grounds in the village. Nobody was there, as the sun was starting to set and most people trained in the early morning or late night, and a lot of shinobi were too busy with missions to have time to train in the village anyway.

The Konoha vs. Oto battles were still fresh in her mind; how everyone contributed to the struggle and yet they were still unsuccessful in getting Sasuke back. Not only that, but _her _own contribution seemed entirely pointless. She even managed to get injured without injuring Kimimaro while Lee got beat up over protecting her. If Gaara hadn't shown up when he did…

She shook her head, not wanting to think about. Brooding over the past would do her nothing; that was for sure. But still…The feeling of uselessness had a bitter taste.

_TOK! TOK! TOK! _

Kyoko touched the ground and her hand migrated to her knee when she knelt down. Sets of needles were imbedded into numerous targets. _So what am I good for? _She thought as she let loose another attack on the unfortunate posts. _There's no doubt…I have to get stronger._

"Kyoko-san?"

Kyoko whirled around as she heard the voice of a certain massive-eyebrowed genin. Lee was walking over to her, looking to all the world like it was his birthday. The smile on his face confused her, but all she said was, "Hi, Lee."

"Kyoko-san! You are training to get stronger, am I right?"

"Oh. Yeah."

"I approve! Surely the burning flames of youth burn brightly within you! It shows in your ambition!"

Kyoko smiled lopsidedly. "Lee, you talk funny."

Lee flashed her a grin. "It is the language of sweat and tears!"

"Lee."

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry about…not being able to help," she said, glancing away. "Maybe if I had done more, then we could've won faster."

"I see no need to apologize," Lee said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "after all, we _did _win in the end, and that is all that counts."

Kyoko sighed and started to protest, but Lee wasn't done.

"The important part is that you are training to get better, right? So just forget about the past and focus on the here and now. That is what I strive for." He gave her the Nice Guy pose, causing her to smile.

"Yeah. That's exactly what I told myself," Kyoko smiled, and despite how silly she felt, she mirrored his actions. "I vow to get stronger."

"As do I."

Meanwhile, Nami had left not too long after Kyoko to get a bite to eat. Ever since Midori put her on a strict budget, however, the only place she could afford was naturally Ichiraku Ramen. She had been in the middle of finishing a bowl of pork ramen when Iciraku's number one costumer pranced in.

"I'll take the usual, old man!" Naruto announced as he plopped down in a seat. Then he turned to Nami and said, "Hey, Nami! What's up? You're feeling better now?"

"Yeah, but you should talk. You were really injured when I saw you. I'm starting to think that if you were run over by a pack of elephants you'd be okay in a day," Nami remarked. "You hear about the mission for tomorrow yet?"

"Yeah," Naruto nodded. "I'm kind of glad they're letting me take a mission so early. After all, the stronger I get, the closer I am to bringing back…" he trailed off.

Nami lowered her head and an awkward silence fell between them. Then, she broke the silence. "Hey Naruto."

"Eh? 'Naruto'? Not 'Otouto'?" Naruto asked, confused. "And what's with your face?"

WHACK!

"OW!" Naruto clutched his throbbing head.

"I'm being serious here," Nami deadpanned. "This is my serious face."

"…Okay…"

"Listen, Naruto," Nami said. "Let's make a pact, okay? Let's promise to bring back Uchiha, even if we have to knock him out in the process, whether he likes it or not." She held out her fist and waited.

Naruto nodded confidently. "Yeah." He connected his own fist with hers. "That teme's not going to choose Orochimaru over us."

Nami smiled. "Not if we can help it."

* * *

It seems like I've opened up a path to a whole new arc...I wonder how long this'll make my fanfic now? Hm...Maybe long enough for 300 reviews! YES! Just kidding. Probably not, but who knows what the future holds?

And now for the more important stuff...

On AizoAnime, you can check out the profiles of Nami, Kyoko, and myself. Not only that, but I've made a Sneak Peeks page! What that means is that you'll be able to read a little bit of the next chapter! Of course, it isn't much, but it's still something! If you don't like spoilers or the like, simply stay away from that page. It'll probably be updated the same time as Narutoverse no Jutsu or earlier if it's important enough, so look out for some crazy and/or random stuff. Go on, check it out! You know you want to. The link to the website is in my profile!

OH WAIT! R&R PLEASE! Phew...almost forgot. XD And thanks again, everyone! I love you all!

-HM


	41. Zombie Central

Here's the next update! Thanks everyone who went to our website! We've got about 41 hits last time I checked, so keep it up! Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

The next day was relatively nice with warm breezes passing by every several minutes. Everyone met on-time in front of the gate, all ready to go. What the group of shinobi was guarding was several delivery carts with boxes upon boxes of supplies. The carts were to be pulled by two horses each, one on each side.

"Hey Naruto-kun…" Midori said uncertainly, "Do you really think you should be teasing the horses like that?"

"Like what?" Naruto asked as he did a jig in perfect view of the horses. However, he found himself being pulled backwards when he turned around to shake his rear. The horse had a tight grip on his backpack. "OI! Leggo!"

Before the horse could chew Naruto's backpack off, the head supervisor of the delivery coaxed the animal into letting go. He was a tall man, probably around Gai's height and had messy brown hair and dark, sleepy eyes that hid behind a pair of sunglasses. A rugged beard traced his mouth and chin.

"We ready to go?" he asked.

"Yes, Nemuru-san," Marieke nodded. "Forgive my subordinate's monkey behavior."

"Monkey!" Naruto earned himself a punch to the noggin. "Ow…"

"Why, oh why did you request him, Hokage-sama?" Marieke muttered under her breath.

"I can hear you!"

The group traveled for hours without taking a break until Nemuru felt like the horses (and himself) needed a rest. So far, nothing out of the ordinary had happened, much to about half the team's disappointment. But this gave the group some time to have a peaceful lunch.

"COUGH! COUGH! GACK!"

"BREATHE!"

WHACK!

"GAAAAACCCKKK!"

Well…semi-peaceful.

"Chew your food, Naruto-kun…" Midori sighed. "Why do you have to eat so fast? It's not like we're going anywhere until everyone's done."

"Well, I can train while everyone's still eating then! Hey Midori-chan, you're done already, how about you train with me?"

"Me?" Midori flushed.

"I'll go easy on ya," Naruto winked.

"Yeah, Midori, how about it?" Kyoko grinned.

"You can totally take him on," Nami teased.

"Sensei…?" Midori said uncertainly.

"I'm not stopping you," Marieke shrugged. "Actually, sparring with Naruto would be good training for you."

Midori nodded and stood up. "Okay, Naruto-kun. You're on."

Naruto jumped up energetically and got into a fighting position. "Alright! The rules of the game is whoever's pinned to the ground first loses! And just for you, I'll throw in a no-lethal jutsu rule!"

"Thanks for your kindness."

"Three! Two! One! RUMBLE!" Nami shouted, throwing her fist into the air.

"This isn't boxing…" Kyoko said.

"And your point is?"

The girls' conversation was quickly cut short as the sound of impact was heard. They turned to the spar to see Naruto's fist had collided with a bright layer of light that hovered just before Midori's arm. Midori snapped her arm up, causing Naruto's hand to move with it. She swiftly aimed her chakra-powered open palm into his gut, but Naruto was quick to avoid the attack by jumping high into the air. Forced to lean forward, Midori was helpless for a split second.

Naruto flipped in midair and brought his leg down on Midori who created a thin field of chakra above her head. This stopped Naruto's kick long enough for an opportunity to get the heck out of the way.

"That was close, Naruto-kun," Midori praised.

Naruto flashed a grin and made a hand sign. "Let's cut it even closer then…Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" And just like that, five Naruto clones were hurling themselves in Midori's direction.

Midori narrowed her eyes in concentration then charged towards the lead clone. Looking as if she was going to do a cartwheel, she held her arms out. When the Naruto clone was close enough, she jumped in the air and vaulted herself onto him, hands on his shoulders. With a strong thrust, she threw him over her body and into another clone, making them disappear into thin air. She landed on her hands then spun with her legs spread, performing a spinning kick (isn't there a name for that?) and propelling the other clones out of existence.

"Midori's been practicing her taijutsu…" Nami remarked.

"Of course," Marieke said. "You don't think she stays home all day after training, do you?"

Her students stared at their sensei oddly. Then…

"YOU'VE BEEN SECRETLY TRAINING HER, HAVEN'T YOU?!" they screamed in perfect harmony.

"No, no," Marieke said, putting her hands up. "I don't play favorites."

"Tch…"

_All that extra training with Team Gai sure pays off… _Midori thought. "Come on, Naruto-kun!"

Naruto created more kage bunshin and once again bounded towards the girl. One clone threw a hail of shuriken which Midori dodged and deflected. It looked like they were going to have a reenactment of what happened a few seconds ago, but as soon as Midori destroyed a clone, one came up from behind and ran into her back.

Surprised, Midori realized one of the weapons thrown earlier had been either the original or a clone in disguise. Tumbling roughly into a group of gathered clones, she was immediately grabbed by tens of hands. In several long seconds, all but one vanished.

The real Naruto had pinned her down by the shoulders, grinning. "I win."

Midori sighed with a smile, "I guess you do."

Naruto frowned as he helped her to her feet. "What's with the smile?"

"I'm happy you won. Good job."

"Wait a second…Did you _let _me win?" Naruto demanded.

"Why do you think that?"

"You're not answering the question!"

Midori giggled and started walking back to the group, Naruto still insisting she tell him.

"Now that everybody's done, why don't we continue?" Marieke suggested. "Nemuru-san, we're—" She was cut off by a loud snore from the supervisor.

"He went to sleep?!" Nami exclaimed.

Marieke took a few minutes to gently wake him up, and they were off once more. It wasn't long until some impatient minds decided to voice their thoughts.

"This is so _boring_!" Nami whined. "Is what we're delivering important at all?"

A drowsy Nemuru was instantly wide-awake when he heard the girl's question. "Of course it is! Why in the world do you think the information wasn't specified? It's because you are genin!"

"If it's that important, why is it C-Ranked?" Kyoko questioned.

"Because…we didn't have enough money to make it B-Ranked…" Nemuru coughed.

Kyoko rolled her eyes. "Oh."

"But after this, we'll be rolling in money!"

"Really?" Naruto tried to sneak a peek into one of the carts but instantly felt pain as his ear was tugged by Marieke. "OW!"

"No, no, Naruto," Marieke said calmly as she released him. "That isn't what we're here for."

"It's not like we're doing anything…" Naruto grumbled. _Man…I miss doing missions with Sakura-chan already…She wasn't _this _abusive…_

"This mission is stranger than our first," Midori whispered to her friends. "It's a complete mystery."

"And what's new?" Kyoko sighed.

"If it's a mystery then why isn't anything exciting happening?" Nami said.

"It's only the first day, you know," Midori pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah…"

As the sky darkened, they started to set up camp. The area they were currently in had a few trees, fairly tall grass in some places, and more than solid ground. There were two tents: one tent for Team Twelve and the other for Naruto and the men who had been handling the horses and carts. Nemuru insisted on sleeping outside the tent on one of the carts to guard his precious goods. Although Marieke tried to persuade him that if there was any trouble, she'd sense it, he still insisted and soon won the argument.

Nemuru isn't the type to stay awake very long, unfortunately. Once he was fast asleep, Marieke and some of the other men who were still awake transferred him from the cart to the tent. After all, there would be quite a lot of insects flying around ready to feast on human blood like vampires.

A few hours later, Marieke's shift had passed without any trouble and so did Nami's. Soon, it was Kyoko's turn.

"Hey, don't screw up," Nami said sleepily as she got back into the tent.

"Feh…I doubt there'll be anything out here," Kyoko sighed. "It's not worth staying up for…"

"I'm not gonna doubt that," Nami admitted. Suddenly, she got a devious look on her face. "Hey Kyoko."

"What?"

"Wanna go check out the mystery item?"

Kyoko raised an eyebrow, then ginned. "Do you really have to ask?"

Nami returned the grin and said, "Cool. All we have to do is get past sensei and the others."

However, "sensei" wasn't there to catch them at the moment. Some time around halfway during Nami's shift, she had sensed strange chakra nearby. It was faint, and it barely seemed like anything, but she figured that she'd check it out anyway. And here she was now, running through the field and into the woods.

_I have a bad feeling about this, _Marieke thought gravely. Squinting, she noticed two figures in the distance. She covered all traces of her chakra and flitted behind a tree closer to the figures.

"You've released your chakra freely again."

"It's so troublesome to disguise it. Why should I? It's not like any of these people are important enough to keep alive right? What's a few kills if we get ambushed, huh?"

"Don't be careless."

"Heh. Does that mean you care if I chop down a few people or not?"

"It doesn't matter to me what you do. Just get what we came here for."

"Whatever you say, Itachi-san."

_I thought so! _Marieke narrowed her eyes. _Uchiha Itachi…and he has a partner. I've got to take them down fast or else—_

"Who do we have here?"

Marieke flinched as a kunai flew at her head. Ducking, she managed to avoid the kunai. She then darted to the side to dodge another attack. Looking up in a crouching position, she was able to distinguish a dark cloak and two red eyes.

"Uchiha Itachi," Marieke spat.

"And just who are you?" Itachi said.

"Hmph. You haven't heard of me?" Marieke said. "I'm offended."

"Kisame-san," Itachi said, glancing at Kisame. "You retrieve the item. I'll silence the woman."

"You always get to do the fun stuff," Kisame frowned.

"Don't waste time."

"Yeah, yeah."

Kisame immediately started to run, and Marieke relocated herself in his path.

"Move," Itachi ordered, appearing beside her.

Marieke had no other choice but to move to get away from the rouge Uchiha. Pushing off backwards, she made several hand signs and put her hand in the shape of a C to her mouth. With a hefty blow, smoke streamed out, creating a fog as she spouted, "Haze Breath no Jutsu!"

Itachi was still, waiting for Marieke's next move. He felt a rise in chakra and then he heard her shout, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu! Swarm,!"

Suddenly, a mass of moths ten times the size of regular moths flew straight towards him in all directions. Itachi leapt into the air, rocketing out of the haze and making hand seals. At the end of the chain, he murmured, "Katon: Goukakyu no Jutsu."

The moths disintegrated in the flames and the haze was soon dissolved. Itachi landed gracefully on the ground and looked over at Marieke. "You're going to have to do better than that."

Marieke scowled. "I haven't even started, pretty boy."

Kyoko and Nami had snuck towards the closest cart, darting around, rolling in the grass, anything that seemed "James Bond" to them. When they finally reached one of the wooden vehicles (which took them several seconds more than they actually would've taken due to spy play) they discovered the boxes inside weren't labeled.

"Looks like we're gonna have to pry one open," Nami declared.

"Leave it to me," Kyoko said as she whipped out a kunai and started to skillfully carve against the wood. "I'll have this baby open faster than you can say—"

"_I see dead people_."

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKK!" Nami and Kyoko screamed as they felt a hand on each of their shoulders. Whirling around brandishing kunai, they swung the weapons blindly only to feel an odd impact. Then they noticed the light green glow.

"Midori!" they choked.

Midori had both her arms up and a thick layer of green chakra leaking over them. Lodged in the chakra were Nami and Kyoko's knives. "What the heck do you guys think you're doing?" Midori hissed, dropping her arms and in the process releasing the kunai. "You know you're not supposed to be here!"

"What about you, huh?" Nami demanded. "You're not supposed to be walking around saying, 'I see dead people'! What's up with that anyway?!"

"I said it because you guys _are _dead," Midori said darkly. "If Marieke-sensei finds you, you'll be deader than dead."

"Well you didn't have to scare the tar out of us," Kyoko pointed out, patting her chest to calm herself from the adrenaline rush.

"You guys just get scared easily in the dark."

"What?! Just because we get freaked out by some zombie of a teammate in the dead of night doesn't mean we're easily scared!"

"I second that!" Nami concurred.

"If _Nami _hadn't told zombie stories around the fire you wouldn't be so hyped up."

"SHUT UP!"

"_Sh_!" Midori clamped her hands against her teammates' mouths. "You guys want sensei to hear you or what?"

"_He-llooo girls. What're we all talking about?_"

A cold hand seemed to trace down the girls' spines at the same time. Slowly turning around, their eyes widened as an expression of horror and shock fell over their faces.

"S-Se-Sensei?!" Midori squeaked as her hands instantly covered her mouth.

The sight was bloodcurdling. Marieke's face seemed to be peeling, and although it might've been a trick of the moonlight (the girls highly doubted that) it seemed her flesh was a cold, green color. Her bloodshot eyes looked like they were about to fall out of her head at any second and they could easily spot her ribs through her ripped and bloody clothing.

Midori had seen enough. She was the first one ready to let out a hoarse scream until Nami's hand denied her of doing so.

Kyoko, who was about to lay a can of kickbutt on the zombie sensei noticed her friend's actions and stared at her questioningly.

"Drop the act, Naruto," Nami ordered firmly.

"Act?" Kyoko repeated. Looking back at Zombie Marieke, she saw a cloud of smoke replace her and then an amused Naruto in turn. "EH? Naruto!"

Midori flushed.

THWACK!

"Ack!" Naruto clutched his head.

"Naruto-kun, you jerk!" Midori bellowed as she lowered her fist. "What's the big idea?!"

"Heh…you hypocrite…" Nami smirked.

"What was that?!" Midori glared.

"Hey, weren't you the one who said we should be quiet?" Kyoko chuckled.

"What is it, Make Fun of Midori Day?" Midori grumbled.

"Heheh…But these guys are real heavy sleepers if they haven't heard all your screams," Naruto said slyly.

"What're you doing out here anyway?" Nami asked.

"What you guys are doing," Naruto said in a quieter tone. "I wanna see what's so great about these so-called treasures."

"I did _not _come out here to see them," Midori said stubbornly.

"You're no fun at all, Midori-chan."

"Aren't you at least _curious_?" Kyoko prodded.

"Not in the least."

"Go back to the tent if you want," Nami said nonchalantly. "But whatever we see, we won't tell you."

Midori narrowed her eyes. "Okay, maybe I'm a _little _curious."

"Say no more. Crack that baby open, Kyoko."

Kyoko nodded. She knocked her fist against the box twice then popped the lid off. "Ta da."

"_Nice_."

Nami and Naruto immediately peered into the box while Midori stood in the background with her arms crossed, although glancing over their shoulders.

"Eh? Scrolls?"

"Maybe they're forbidden?" Naruto suggested.

"Why would they be? If they were they'd be placed in a higher ranking," Midori said, watching Kyoko pick one.

"Well whatever they are, they're…" Kyoko trailed off as her eyes darted across the paper. Then a look of utter bafflement crossed her face. "…"

"What is it, Kyoko?" Nami asked. She looked over her friend's shoulder and a look that matched Kyoko's appeared on her face as well. This got Naruto curious, but as soon as he snuck a peek he hollered a surprised cry.

"Eh?" Midori said. But when she tried to see, her teammates shut the scroll. "What?"

"You don't wanna read it, Midori!" Kyoko said quickly.

"Yeah, it's not something your pure eyes should see," Nami added.

Midori raised an eyebrow.

"It's dirty smut," Naruto said. "Almost as dirty as Ero-Sennin's."

"That bad?"

"Uh-huh."

"Then take it away!" she ordered.

"I can't believe how stupid this is." Nami crossed her arms angrily. "I got so worked up over these _precious goods_? They're probably all pervy and wrong! I'm going back to sle—eep!" Nami shrieked as a large bandage-covered sword split the wood between her legs, causing the cart to tip.

"Nami!" her teammates called as they all were forced forward.

"Who's that?!" Naruto exclaimed. He got to his feet and got into a fighting position.

"I knew it. Just a bunch of brats," Kisame remarked, lifting his sword. "Hold still. This'll only take a few seconds. Eh?" He glanced at Naruto then grinned toothily. "Oh! So it's the little Kyuubi brat! Well isn't this my lucky day? The scroll _and _another shot at the jinchuuriki."

* * *

BTW The sneak peek for next chapter might not be here today (my other computer's being evil) so check tomorrow if I don't get it up tonight! And guess who's here? KYOKO AND **NAMI**.

**HEY IT'S THE NAMSTER! o CRAP! I MESSED UP MIDORI'S STORY! AHHHH! (minutes later) It's all good in the hood!**

uh..hi...and now a random update on my life I GOT A KON PLUSHIE!! YAY ME! anouther stuffed animal to add to my collection along with my L plush and Gaara plush...U KNOW UR JEALOUS! 

**THAT IS MY LINE! GOSHIES I KNOW UR JEALOUS OF ME! BUT DON'T COPY THE NAMSTER! U JUST GOT PWNED! **

Um...yeah. THOSE ARE MY FRIENDS. R&R please! Until next time...

-HM


	42. Akatsuki Attack

Whoohoo! This story is officially my top-reviews story! Thanks for making it happen, everyone! And if anyone went to the website to read the sneak peek and you decided to read this chapter from the very beginning anyway, you'll probably notice some minor changes. If you don't remember, that's cool too, and if you didn't read the sneak peek, that's cooler. Surprises are nice. Ahem, well anyway, without more time-consuming rambling, enjoy the chappie!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Last time on Narutoverse no Jutsu...**

**"I knew it. Just a bunch of brats," Kisame remarked, lifting his sword. "Hold still. This'll only take a few seconds. Eh?" He glanced at Naruto then grinned toothily. "Oh! So it's the little Kyuubi brat! Well isn't this my lucky day? The scroll _and _the jinchuuriki."**

"You mean this?" Kyoko asked, pointing to the scroll in her hand. "You read this trash, Fish-Boy?"

"Fool," Kisame snarled. "You have no idea what's hidden here. Now get outta my way!" He swung his sword again, breaking the cart in half and causing the genin to scatter. Outside, the horses were frantic and the men were beginning to wake up.

Midori skidded to a stop just in front of the tents. She turned around as she heard Nemuru's shocked scream.

"MY SCROLL!"

"Nemuru-san, stay back!" Midori ordered. "We're under attack!"

"NO!" Nemuru wailed. "My precious scroll!"

"Knock it off!" Nami ordered, getting annoyed as she pulled out several kunai. "Who cares about your dirt?!"

"No! That's not what I'm talking about!"

"Then what _are _you talking about, old man?!"

"There's the Scroll of a Thousand Jutsu in there!"

"WHAT?!"

"Don't stand there gawking at me! Do your job!"

"Gr…Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto called, creating five clones that immediately bounded toward the broken cart while the men attempted to untie the horses.

"This is just getting better and better," Kisame said as he fingered a black and white scroll. "Found it already. That leaves a lot of time for some fun."

"Nemuru-san, what do you mean?" Midori demanded. "Scroll of a Thousand Jutsu?"

"I…" Nemuru said hesitantly. "Okay, I hid a forbidden scroll within the feudal lord's imported goods."

"What? How?" Midori gasped. "The cargo was checked before we left!"

"It was genjutsu. One of my men is a retired jounin and he owed me a favor, so I figured I could get away with…"

"Paying less than you actually had to?" Midori finished, narrowing her eyes.

"Heh…sorry."

Nami suddenly knocked against the tent behind Nemuru and Midori and grunted. "Less talking, more fighting!" she shouted at Midori.

"Right," Midori nodded.

Nami made a hand sign only to find that she was unable to draw any chakra. "What the…? What'd you do with my chakra, Fish-Face?!"

Midori blinked, seemingly in a daze. "Fish-Face…" When she heard Kisame's amused laughter, she snapped out of the trance and said, "He can cut off chakra with his sword, remember, Nami?"

Kisame looked surprised. "How'd someone like you figure that out?" he demanded.

Nami thought for a second. "That's right…Hoshigaki Kisame, a missing nin from Kiri!"

Kisame was utterly confused now. How did these Konoha kunoichi know anything about him at all? It seemed he wasn't the only one.

"How'd you guys know all this?" Naruto questioned.

"I don't know…" Nami admitted.

"Well I do!" Midori declared. _Time to bluff…_ "Hoshigaki Kisame-san, you'd better leave this place or we'll unveil your weakness to the world!"

Kisame narrowed his eyes. "You don't know my weakness."

Nami instantly caught on. She put on a cocky and aloof expression and said, "Maybe we do, maybe we don't. Do you really want to take that chance?"

"Kyoko, do it!" Midori called confidently.

Kyoko, who had the blankest look on her face, stared at Kisame for a while until she decided to start moving her hands into a seal. Lady Luck was on her side.

_Could it be? Could she possible be starting to perform that_ _jutsu…? _Kisame panicked inwardly.

_This guy's good, _Marieke thought. _My breath is getting heavier…Soon I won't be able to hold my own against him. And yet he doesn't look the slightest bit tired. What is his weakness?_ "You sure live up to your name, Itachi."

"Compliments are meaningless from one who can't defeat me," Itachi answered.

"We'll see about that," Marieke retorted. She tossed a barrage of kunai in the Uchiha's direction while speeding around. Every time, the knives made contact with not flesh, but tree bark.

Itachi jumped onto a tree branch and scanned the area for Marieke who had disappeared. _Threads?_

It was then a large crow swooped through the leaves, forcing Itachi forward. His red eyes were suddenly attracted by a trickle of fire that was starting to spread. The trickle instantly turned into an ocean of flames, and Itachi was about to dive head-first into them.

Marieke watched the Uchiha murderer disappear. After about ten seconds she had finished another chain of hand seals. She blew once more, this time spurting water that rained down on the flames, distinguishing them. "There's no way he could've escaped…"

"On the contrary."

Marieke's eyes widened when she found herself staring into Itachi's spinning eyes. The shinobi was in a crouching position like a statue. "N—!"

Too late.

The two stayed in that position for several seconds until Itachi moved. Marieke was still in a daze, and a kunai hovered dangerously close to her neck when Itachi noticed an explosion. He looked up at the sky where smoke was starting to trail. _What's that fool doing now?_

"Augh! Nami! Stop using the dang bombs!" Kyoko barked.

"Well excuse me for not being able to use chakra!" Nami shot back.

_These genin are crazy, _Kisame thought. _But there's something strange about them…I'd better get this over with or Itachi will murder me. _"Suiton: Bakusui Shouha!" Water started to leak to the ground instantly from Kisame's own mouth, flooding the whole campsite in rising water. In the chaos that struck afterwards, Kisame found the time to find the scroll he was looking for and escape. _That jinchuuriki will follow me anyway, I'm sure of it._

"HEY! Get back here and fight!" Naruto roared as he leaped out of the water and started to run atop the surface.

The girls, sans Nami, stood above the water as well.

"I'm gonna kill that guy for taking my chakra!" Nami vowed angrily.

"We almost had him too if it weren't for your recklessness," Midori said, annoyed. "He would've retreated!"

"He still doesn't know if we know his weakness or not," Kyoko said. "But now we have to follow him and Naruto. I'll have to be the one."

"What do you mean you'll have to be the one?" Nami demanded. "Do you actually remember his weakness or something?"

"It hasn't been revealed yet and I can barely remember anything from our world at all."

_It's happening again, _Midori thought worriedly. _This time, even I was too worked up to remember anything other than what's happened here…_

"Then why the heck do _you_ have to go?"

"Two reasons," Kyoko explained. She held up one finger, "One, because he's absorbed your chakra with the Samehada and Midori's the only one who would be able to save people with her techniques. And two…Because I have something I have to prove to myself."

Her teammates watched as she left with mixed thoughts.

_Something she has to prove to herself? _Midori thought. She shook her head and dove into the water. _If I do this quickly, I may be able to help her. _She made several hand seals, making her crystal and hands glow. As soon as she came closer to the bottom, she pulled back a chakra arrow and shot it straight into the ground. A large crater formed

_She's gonna get killed if she doesn't have back-up_. Nami scowled. _And I can't do anything to help. That guy's gonna pay…_

_Kisame…his partner is Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke's brother, _Kyoko recalled. _Killing his whole clan…If I were to run into both of them, I'd be sunk. Naruto, you'd better not attack on your own. _

---

"Hand over the scroll Fish-Face!" Naruto growled.

"Sorry, but that's not gonna happen," Kisame smirked. "Last time I didn't have the chance to chop off your legs. Let's try again, shall we?"

Naruto dashed towards Kisame shouting a loud battle cry while creating several clones at his side. As he attempted to do 'Uzumaki Naruto Rendan' he was stopped by the blade of Kisame's Samehada. He immediately leapt back in order to avoid being cut. _Time to bring out the big guns…_ Naruto thought. He created another kage bunshin and then held his arm back.

"What're you gonna do now, jinchuuriki?" Kisame said playfully. "A strong attack, I hope."

"You asked for it!" Naruto shouted. "Rasengan!"

Kisame saw the boy come speeding at him with a bright spinning ball of chakra in his hands. He bent his knees and jumped high into the air, successfully dodging Naruto's attack. "You're finished, boy!" He sliced his Samehada downwards, aiming to cut right for Naruto's skull when a flurry of needles flew out of nowhere towards him. Quickly moving his body at an angle, he fell to the ground harmlessly and the needles soared right over his head.

"Hey Naruto! You alright?" Kyoko called as she jerked her hand back. To an untrained eye, Kyoko would've looked like she was doing some sort of miming routine, but Kisame wasn't so mediocre as to not see the chakra strings coming from her fingers that attached to the cloud of needles floating ahead of her.

"Nice trick you have there, little girl," Kisame chuckled. "But that attack won't work on me."

Kyoko narrowed her eyes. _He's right. All he has to do is swing his sword and the strings will be severed…If I was going to do that, that is._ "Take this!" She swung her arm again, snapping the needles and forced her chakra strings to break.

Kisame quickly slammed his sword in front of him to deflect the weapons. It was then he sensed the second barrage coming from behind. Thinking fast, he made several hand seals and blew water again, stopping the weapons in mid-attack. He placed a hand on the hilt of Samehada and with a strong swing, he severed the chakra strings. _Close one. _

By this time, Kyoko and Naruto had regrouped. The two were now standing together a distance away from Kisame, preparing for their next attack.

"Okay, Naruto! Go!"

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

A total of seven Naruto clones charged at Kisame from different directions. The Akatsuki member spun on his heel, destroying the seven clones with one attack. He was then ambushed by another wave of clones, then another. It wasn't long before he was covered in kage bunshin from head to toe as if showcasing a new fashion: orange-clad jinchuuriki boys.

"Gotcha!" Naruto declared triumphantly.

"Get off me!" Kisame was annoyed now. And who knew when Itachi would pop in? If the Uchiha murderer saw him like this…

"Ninja Art: Senbon Cyclone!" Kyoko called. She threw a scroll left and another right, each painted with a line of fresh blood. Instantly she started a chain of hand seals in a breakneck pace, ending in the dragon sign. The scrolls she had tossed suddenly erupted with white smoke and from the smoke shot thousands upon thousands of needles. The deadly weapons snaked into the shape of a tornado, rushing straight towards the vulnerable Kisame.

"Damn!" Kisame growled.

"We're gonna have sushi tonight!" Naruto bellowed.

Kyoko's victorious grin quickly turned into a frown when she noticed her needles stopping. Something was wrong. "What the…!" Before she knew it, her weapons had turned on her, literally. The senbon cyclone quickly spun in her direction, and she found herself being stabbed with millions of needles at a speed she couldn't comprehend. She tried to let out a scream, but it's hard to scream when a needle is stuck in your neck.

---

"Ah!" Midori burst from the four-foot shallow water. "Well…this is getting somewhere. Wait a second…" In a few seconds, Midori found she could touch the ground easily.

"Hey! What's up with the water?" Nami called from a tree.

"I…think it's evaporating," Midori said. "Maybe when the user is a distance away, it disappears after a while. And after all that work too…"

"You did well, Midori," Nami shrugged. "At least now we can follow Kyoko and Otouto!"

"Yeah, but now travelers will have a harder time with all these craters in the ground…"

"Eh, they'll live. Enough chit chat, let's move it!"

"I don't know if it's a good idea of you go, Nami. I mean…your chakra's been absorbed and there isn't—"

"Hey, even if I'm chakra-less, it doesn't mean I can't fight," Nami retorted stubbornly. "I'm going."

"Well…I guess there's nothing productive about arguing with you."

"'Atta girl."

Midori sighed and turned to Nemuru. "Nemuru-san, you and the others can handle things here by yourselves right?"

Nemuru looked utterly miserable as he started to shimmy down the tree. "Now that they have the scroll, they won't have a reason to come back. All is lost…"

"You're really bugging me with that talk," Nami frowned. "We'll bring back your scroll. Then you can pay the real charges."

The supervisor didn't look too happy about that.

"First thing's first," Midori said as she made a few hand signs and touched the ground. She caught the attention of her teammate when smoke rose from where her hand had been.

"Summoning?" Nami raised an eyebrow.

"It's about time I caught up with you and Kyoko with summoning," Midori winked.

An average-sized raven appeared made its presence known by squawking a feminine "Hello!"

"No time for pleasantries," Midori said quickly. "I have a job for you, Raven-san. Please go out and send for some backup from Konoha. It may take a while for them to come, even if they're fast, but if we can get away from these guys and hide out, they'll be needed. And I have a bad feeling someone else will have to complete the mission." While she was talking, Midori had been writing a brief note on a tiny slip of paper. She tied it onto the bird's leg and said, "Hurry!"

"My, my," the raven said scratchily. "I get the picture. Oh, and for future reference, my name is Kurayami." Without another word, the raven took flight.

"Kyoko had better saved some butt for me to kick when we get there," Nami said as she and Midori took off.

"She left on her own with Naruto-kun…I have a feeling they'll need a lot of our help," Midori said worriedly.

She had no idea how right she was.

* * *

DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN. Is Kyoko DEAD? What happened to Marieke? And will Midori get charged for destroying all that land? Find out next time on NARUTOVERSE NO JUTSU!

R&R please! And don't forget to check out Aizoanime sometime this week! We like hits. It's true. If not for hitting our site (that sounds kinda weird) or the sneak peek, go for info about Narutoverse no Jutsu! Thanks! I love you all!

Until next time!

-HM


	43. Three Strikes

Man oh man, what a day. I just finally got onto the computer, and then FF was being evil with me for some reason. After a while of waiting and waiting, I was able to get this chapter up. HOORAY. Not much more to say here, but that as you all know (or most of you anyway) I'm going to make the Narutoverse no Jutsu movie and I'm probably going to start the long process of drawing everything out soon. I've already got one of the canon characters chosen; our very own...UZUMAKI NARUTO! I won't elaborate now, since that'd just take up a lot more space than needed, but I will on the website. Just a little bit of info that you folks might be interested in or not. SO ANYWAY. ONTO THE CHAPTER!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

"Kyoko, what—" Naruto said. He noticed the needles falling to the ground and turned his gaze to question the kunoichi, but he was cut off by a punch in the gut that sent him flying. "Omf!"

"Nice save, Itachi," Kisame said gruffly as the many clones stacked on him disappeared. He brushed himself off. "So what're you gonna do with that one?" He gestured towards the lifeless Kyoko who had collapsed in a daze. Sweat was running down her face and she was shaking as if having a bad dream. And she was. After all, the Mangekyou Sharingan did that to you, especially if you caught a glimpse up close.

Itachi had appeared out of nowhere and startled the life out of her. Now she was trapped in her own horrid nightmares.

"I suppose I should kill her…As well as her sensei."

"Eh? You didn't kill the woman yet?"

"When I heard the explosion I came to investigate," Itachi said.

"Then you left her?"

Itachi nodded. "She'll die either way. And this one probably will too." He turned his head so that Naruto was in full view. "We should take the jinchuuriki and leave now, Kisame."

Kisame nodded, but inside he was feeling quite uneasy. _Itachi used it twice in one day. He's probably exhausted. _"Itachi, maybe we should take this girl along too."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

"There's something strange about the girls on that woman's team," Kisame explained. "Don't you remember the report Zetsu gave us about his findings on Orochimaru's recent plans?"

"The girls with the power of divination? Yes, I do. And you think these are the ones?" Itachi reasoned.

"Yeah…"

"And you believe in that nonsense Orochimaru spouts?"

"Well…Leader-san would get angry if he knew we fought the so-called fortune-telling girls and not bring one for experimentation."

"Now you're starting to sound like that devious snake," Itachi sighed. He didn't forget what he had heard long before when he and Kisame had visited Konoha. He realized that this girl was one of the girls sitting a distance away from them at the sweets shop. Although at that time he didn't think much to listen too intently to their conversation, he had still caught several words that seemed to link with his knowledge of the rumored fortune-telling girls. "Fine, then. We'll bring the girl."

"No you won't!" Naruto, who had finally recovered from the blow Itachi had given him started charging half-drained towards the Akatsuki members. "I'll ki—GACK!"

Kisame raised an eyebrow. One moment the jinchuuriki was running blindly into defeat and the next minute he was being dragged back by his overly large collar.

"What the he—!"

"Let _us _help with these guys, Otouto," Nami said confidently. Her hand was clutching Naruto's collar, and the boy was now sitting at her feet.

"But—"

"You need it," Midori said seriously. "You're down to at least half your chakra and we can't afford you zonking out." She turned her attention back to the partners and glared. "What did you do to Kyoko?"

Kisame looked amused. "We just put her to sleep, is all."

"I don't remember you doing anything."

The fish-like man frowned at the younger ninja. "Thanks, Itachi."

"We have to get her back from them," Naruto muttered so only the girls could hear. "Here's the plan…"

"You kids gonna just stand there, or are we gonna have more fun?" Kisame taunted.

"Okay guys...Go!"

As quick as a gunshot, Nami and Naruto darted in two directions, left and right. Naruto generated a few clones while Nami finished a chain of hand seals.

"Time for our secret weapon, Otouto!" she called.

"You got it!"

"Double Ninja Art: Three-Strike Shock!" the two bellowed.

Itachi narrowed his eyes.

"I've never heard of anything like that," Kisame said as his brow furrowed. "What is it, some kind of a joke?"

At that moment, Nami whipped out her fiery blade and slammed it into the ground halfway, creating a large crevice that snaked its way towards Itachi and Kisame. The pair automatically leapt into the air only to be mobbed by Naruto clones. "Strike One!"

Itachi dodged the many attacks from the clones gracefully. "Kisame. Dispose of them."

Kisame reached for Samehada but found it to be missing. Surprised, he saw two orange-clad ninja standing to the side, one mocking him by slapping his backside and the other grinning cockily while using Samehada as a post. That got him started.

"You're gonna regret that!" Kisame hollered.

"Kiss my—OW!" the kage bunshin Naruto yelped as he was stabbed by sharp scales that protruded from the sword. He, along with the other clone vanished before they could start to bleed.

"Fool," Kisame smirked. He swung his arm and spun in the air, crushing the clones around him, clearing the space for Itachi and himself. He pushed off of one jagged side of the crack Nami had made earlier and retrieved his sword while Itachi slipped to the other side. However, Itachi was soon off the ground when Nami appeared in front of him and shouted, "Strike Two!"

Nami made a winding motion with her sword and fire was sent barreling toward the Uchiha who quickly countered with a "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" The two fierce attacks collided, and Itachi was able to drop down low enough for the attack to skim over his head several inches. As he regrouped with Kisame, Nami dropped down next to the original Naruto, which wasn't hard considering his clones had all disappeared.

Itachi noticed a shocked expression on Kisame's face. Wondering what had his teammate so spooked, he said quietly, "What is it?"

"I…I already soaked up her chakra earlier before," Kisame answered, "How is it possible that she can pull of that technique? It should use a large amount of chakra…I don't get it…"

"Last strike," Naruto muttered. "If this doesn't take them out, we're in big trouble."

"It will," Nami assured him. "We've been working on this for ages. We can't miss."

Nodding, Naruto bent his knees in a ready position while Nami reached into her back pouch. With a fast snap of her hand, smoke billowed everywhere, sufficiently cloaking the area.

---

Midori sighed. She had managed to get away from the raucous battle in process along with her injured teammate like the trio had planned, but she was still doubtful of leaving Nami and Naruto to take care of those guys. Of course, if she had stayed, Nami wouldn't have been able to borrow her chakra anyway.

They had performed it while trailing after Naruto and Kyoko, the Chakra Transfer no Jutsu.

A while ago, Midori had offered to help Marieke with some house-cleaning and stumbled across a scroll of jutsu. Intrigued, she started to search for some jutsu that would be able to assist her in getting herself (and more importantly, her teammates) out of tight spots. She had come across a jutsu that caught her eye, Chakra Transfer.

_**Flashback**_

"_**Chakra Transfer no Jutsu?" Nami and Kyoko repeated.**_

"_**Yeah!" Midori nodded enthusiastically holding up the scroll she had found the jutsu in. "It allows the user to connect with another person and transfer their chakra directly to them. Just think, if one of us runs out of chakra, all we'd have to do is borrow from the other person!"**_

"_**That **_**would **_**be useful," Kyoko admitted. "But I'd rater not have Nami leech off of my chakra for devilish purposes."**_

"_**What's with the look?" Nami said innocently. "And who says I'll ever need your chakra?"**_

"_**This is all a matter of trust," Midori said. "Both people will be aware of their chakra's flow anyway, because it takes both of them to make the correct hand signs at the same time. Plus, you can always stop the chakra with a simple chain of seals, so there's hardly any risk for us if we're careful."**_

"_**Eh? Does this say **_**blood pact**_**?" Nami said, raising an eyebrow. "I thought you didn't approve of those kind of things."**_

"_**I don't," Midori said. "But this is for a good cause, and we only have to emit our chakra through a tiny cut into the other person's body so the chakra will be familiar. It's **_**really **_**quick and doesn't hurt a bit! Trust me!"**_

"_**Well…Okay…"**_

_**End Flashback**_

"Okay, so it hurt a little…" Midori sighed, wincing from how sensational the first chakra transfer had gone. Now, Nami was using Midori's chakra in battle, and Midori was supplying here immensely with the help of the Hikari Suishou glowing faintly around her neck. She knew that Nami would be complete with chakra for quite some time, at least, until the constant chakra transmittance from crystal to her body then to Nami starts to tire her.

Midori glanced at Kyoko expression was pained. Her breath was heavy, and she had been breaking out in cold sweat ever since Itachi had hit her with the Mangekyou Sharingan. If she remembered correctly, (her real-world memories were still a bit fuzzy) Kakashi had been forced to lie in bed for weeks until he was able to move again when Itachi and Kisame had appeared in the village. If Kakashi, an elite jounin was defeated to such a level by the Mangekyou, she couldn't imagine how Kyoko was feeling now, and she didn't want to.

"Sorry, Kyoko," Midori muttered regretfully. There was no way she'd be able to help her teammate out, especially since her mind was the part that was injured the most. The only thing she could do was heal her physical wounds and hope that the back-up she sent for would come as quickly as possible _and _with a few more experienced medics at hand.

And if the thoughts of everything happening around her weren't burdensome enough, one thought was plaguing her mind now. She had been aware of it since the attack on the camp, but had been too distracted by the action to actually address it, and she was sure that held the same with her teammates. Where in the world was Marieke?

Midori quickly made a few hand seals and touched the natural floor. For the second time that day, a puff of smoke sprouted and an animal appeared. Due to her chakra being currently drained and replenished, the outcome of her summoning was smaller than before. The bird that appeared now was considerably miniature with a petite head and brown feathers; a juvenile Sharp-shined Hawk.

"Who's summoned me, the great Surudoi?" the hawk demanded in a high voice.

"Hikari Midori," Midori answered. "Surudoi-san, I'd like you to scout the area for signs of my sensei."

"_Me _on _scouting_? Ridiculous, I say!" chirruped Surudoi.

"It's of utmost importance," Midori said, a bit annoyed with this summoning.

"It is, is it?"

"Oh yes. As soon as she comes, _you'll _be the one rewarded for bringing back the captain of this mission."

"I'm retrieving a _captain_, hm? All right. I'll do it!"

"Great. She's about five-foot nine, auburn ponytail, dark blue and black kimono-like dress, and a mask."

"Roger!" A quick flit of wings sounded and he disappeared into the late night.

---

The smoke bomb had temporarily blinded the Akatsuki members, but they were more skilled than that. They would easily be able to sense the movements of the genin if they tried a sneak attack, even without the luxury of sight.

Suddenly, the sound of speedy footsteps resonated from all sides.

Of course…they had to take Naruto's signature jutsu into account.

Once again, the two were crowded. The smoke had not yet cleared, for Nami had set a chain of smoke bombs in the area that activated at will. Fresh smoke spilled from these bombs as the kage bunshin team attacked Itachi and Kisame.

Itachi ducked from as many clones as he was able, but with so many it was difficult. However, the only contact he had felt from the clones was what he figured to be a few brushes of the face. It was then he decided that he had had enough of this and escaped the smoky haze, Kisame close behind. However, as soon as Itachi stepped out, he sensed danger and immediately dashed ahead several more meters. It was a good thing, too, because Kisame was utterly surprised when he felt something cold and mucky fall on his head.

"What the—!" Kisame hollered as leaves of all shapes and sizes started to rain down upon him. The flaky foliage was followed by long strands of green and brown vines that twisted around him, sticking along with the leaves to the mud.

Another number of smoke bombs exploded, and Itachi heard Kisame curse loudly. By the time the polluting smog cleared, Naruto and Nami were gone.

"Strike Three," Naruto grinned at Nami as the two slapped five while they flew through the trees. They were a good distance away from the Akatsuki pair now.

"And they're out," Nami smirked, giving Naruto a wink. "Well, I'd say we distracted them adequately, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah. They'll have a hell of a fun time when they've figured out what we did."

"Most definitely."

---

Midori had noticed the chakra transfer cease minutes ago, and she was dying to wonder how the fight ended, hoping it was in her favor. After all, she had warned them not to go all-out, and to keep the mission's focus first and to retreat as soon as possible. Naruto had said himself that he promised not to, and Nami had agreed with some annoyance.

_I shouldn't be worrying, _the young kunoichi thought. _It's Naruto and Nami…after all. _

"Oi! Midori! Midori!"

Midori felt a small weight on her shoulder and glanced at the Sharp-shined Hawk perched there. "Did you find my sensei, Surudoi-san?" she asked.

"Yes, but I don't think you're going to be happy when you see her."

* * *

Correct me if I'm wrong, but as far as I know, during this time only the Sannin and maybe a few of the elites knew about Akatsuki, right? I'm not sure myself, and if I'm wrong I'll probably just screw up in the next chapters, so if you know, kindly tell me. Thanks!

After I wrote about the Chakra Transfer, I felt like I knew it from somewhere. Then, late at night I suddenly remembered a certain "Blood Brotherhood" chapter from Shang's Naruto: Next Generation fic. He has pretty much the same jutsu only its for a bloodline limit for twins and triplets in a clan (which probably makes more sense than my own) and I must have so subconsciously remembered it that I kind of used it...a little bit...So if anyone asks, the original wasn't my idea (haha, as usual) but Shang's. Oopsies.

Until next time...

-HM


	44. The Secret: Revealed Once More

Here's the next chapter of Narutoverse no Jutsu! I'm a little bit disappointed about the number of reviews...I mean, what happened? I got around 7 to 9 reviews in the last few chapters and then it drops down to 5...Is it because I'm dragging out with annoying mission too long? Eh...oh well. I can't very well FORCE anyone to review or anything, so I'll make due with thanking everyone who did this time around! I LOVE YOU ALL in an "I'm grateful for you" way. Not the "MARRY ME PLEASE" way. Yeah. Okay. Here's the chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

When Surudoi described Marieke's condition, Midori couldn't have gotten up faster. She soon found herself instantly speeding through the woods with an unconscious Kyoko on her back. After getting directions from the small hawk, she had instructed him to find Naruto and Nami and lead them to Marieke as well.

By this time, night had already turned into the early hours of the morning. The sky showed hints of light beyond the horizon and the stars were starting to fade from sight. The air was still bristling cold, however, and only the combined heat of both of Midori and Kyoko's bodies was keeping Midori slightly warm. But Midori wasn't Wonder Woman and Kyoko wasn't the lightest person in the world, not to mention she was inches taller than Midori which made it even more difficult to run. The Hikari girl wouldn't be able to hold up her teammate and continue moving for long. Though, it looked like she wouldn't have to.

"Sensei! Marieke-sensei!" Midori called to her teacher, quickening her pace. When she reached the older woman who was laying face-down and unconscious, Midori set Kyoko down and started searching her sensei of any wounds. As soon as she surveyed the damage, she started restoring flesh and tissue. It was true that this mission popped up right after Midori had left the hospital, and it wasn't like Shizune had been able to show her every single technique a medic used in one night, but she _had _been taught the basics, and closing average wounds and stopping the bleeding was about as much as she could do at the moment.

"Midori! Hey!"

At the sound of Nami's voice, Midori glanced up, the green light of chakra reflecting off her eyes. "Nami, Naruto-kun, you guys are fast."

"Thanks to who?" Surudoi huffed.

"To you, Surudoi-san. All thanks to you," Midori said tiredly.

"Thank you!" Surudoi bowed and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Whoa…Sensei's in really bad shape…" Nami said, a tint of worry in her voice. "Who do you think did this to her?"

"Judging by her feverish look…I'd say Itachi," Midori reasoned. "She looks like Kyoko…but Kyoko's much worse. I guess she didn't have enough experience to take on the Mangekyou Sharingan; it had more of an affect on her."

"Mangekyou Sharingan?" Naruto said, a confused expression forming on his face. "What?"

"We'll explain later," Nami said hastily. "Anyway, we've gotta get away from here as far as possible. I don't know how long it'll take those two to find us, so it's best that we get a move on."

"Right," Midori nodded. "Naruto-kun, how much chakra would you say you have left?"

"Not much," Naruto admitted. "I used a lot of it up for all those kage bunshin…"

"I'm pretty drained too," Midori said, immediately looking introspective. "And you obviously don't have any chakra either, Nami…This isn't good…"

"We're just gonna have to travel without chakra!" Naruto declared.

"How're we supposed to do that?" Nami questioned. "Without your kage bunshin, it'll be tough to even try to lift Marieke-sensei _and _Kyoko let alone run with them!"

"We can do it! Just help me out with your sensei and Midori-chan can carry Kyoko! By the time we get back to Nemuru and the cargo carriages, we'll be okay!"

"We've got nothing to lose I guess," Midori sighed as she lifted Kyoko onto her back again.

"Yeah, yeah," Nami said, taking Marieke's back and shoulders while Naruto grabbed her legs. "Let's go then."

As the group started trekking back out of the woods, the sky was now mostly painted a light blue running into pinks and oranges, signaling the sun's rise. Now there were absolutely no stars, and the cold air was starting to get warmer. The grass was dotted with still dew that was rearranged by running steps that soon brought them into the open field, the carts and delivery men in view. Even though everyone conscious knew that their group had all gotten out of the woods alive, there was still the chance that the Akatsuki could pop up at any moment, angry enough to finish them off without a second thought.

"Get the horses ready!" Midori called, in the lead. "We're leaving now!"

Over the while that their ninja escorts had left, Nemuru and the other men had had enough time to calm down from the attack, and so had the horses. Most of the animals were uninjured, and none were dead which was sort of relieving. Bu the fact that some of them were injured meant that they'd either have to go slower or leave the injured behind.

Nemuru wasn't happy. "You're shinobi, right? Don't you have anything that'll heal my horses?"

"Not broken legs," Midori said. "I'm sorry, Nemuru-san, but we'll have to leave them behind." She didn't add that she wanted to save her little remaining chakra for something more important. "I'm sure no one will harm your horses if they're out here, and I sent for some ninja in Konoha, so when they come, they'll probably bring them."

Nemuru was hesitant, but he figured his life was worth more than worrying over horses that would return eventually, so as soon as he was safe in one of the carriages, they were off.

"You sure did a number on this field, Midori-chan," Naruto remarked as he looked out at the scenery. He, along with Nami and Midori, were sitting atop one of the larger carts to look out for any enemies that would potentially attack.

Midori didn't hear his comment, however. She was too busy sleeping, resting her head against a tarp-covered box.

"Eh? She's asleep?"

"She's got the right idea," Nami yawned. "I think I _did _use a lot of chakra borrowed from her, and she also had to heal Marieke-sensei and Kyoko. Don't forget she also healed us too with the rest of her chakra. I don't think she's ever used that crystal of hers that much before."

"If she can just draw chakra from that crystal, how come she had so little chakra?"

"She explained to me once that she can only receive a certain amount depending on how much chakra she has left to spare," Nami shrugged, leaning back against a box. "It also depends on her will, but doing it so much tires her out. Think of it as the ending result of a soldier pill. You just get so tired it won't do any good anymore." She yawned again. "It might've been a good thing Kyoko was unconscious at the time, cuz I don't think Midori would've been able to handle both of us taking up her chakra."

"Oh…I see."

"How'd Kyoko do, by the way? When she was battling with you?"

"Oh. She was great," Naruto said, wondering why Nami would ask a question like that. "You should know, right? What, does she train in secret?"

"She trains by herself a lot," Nami admitted. "She never really uses the moves she does in battle for training, that's for sure. Maybe once or twice…"

"That's kind of weird."

"Yeah, isn't it? She's also been getting injured a lot lately," Nami added, looking distant. "Like when she gets home, she's always cut up. Midori gets annoyed with having to heal her all the time, even if she _does _say its practice for medical stuff."

"What about you, neechan?"

"Me?" Nami's mouth contorted into a sly smile. "I'm not gonna tell you my training secrets."

"Aw, come on…"

"No can do, Otouto. If I did, I'd have to kill ya."

"That's so cheesy."

"Maybe," Nami shrugged.

Naruto reached into his pocket and revealed the average-looking scroll known as the Scroll of a Thousand Jutsu. "I wonder if this thing's really worth it…"

"It should be," Nami said. "If I were Nemuru, I would hand it over to Konoha because of all the trouble I've caused. This was supposed to be C-Ranked. C-Ranked missions _don't _have Akatsuki."

"Yeah…Hey, wait!" Naruto seemed to realize that he had forgotten something. "How do you know about this 'Akatsuki' and Itachi and the fish guy?"

"Oh…well…um…"

"Don't tell me you have inside information or something!" Naruto said. "Nobody ever tells genin anything, so how is it you guys know so much?"

Nami took a deep breath. "Naruto, can you keep a secret?"

So Nami told Naruto everything. She told him she and her friends had come from a different world, how they had gotten Iruka to help them out in the beginning, how they knew all about the Chuunin Exams and how to pass them, how they knew everyone from the Konoha 12 to the Sand Siblings, how they knew that Sasuke would leave—

"You knew Sasuke would leave?" Naruto said quietly. "You knew what would happen…And you didn't _warn _us?!"

"We didn't want to mess up anything, you understand, right?"

"No, no I don't!" Naruto's voice hinted anger, but that wasn't what made Nami wince. It was the betrayed sound in his tone that made her regret she had told him.

"Naruto—"

"You could've warned us and we could've stopped him earlier!" Naruto raged. "Sasuke would be here right now! We could've saved him from Orochimaru! I—" he stopped abruptly, his face a look of sudden realization, then annoyance. "That's a sick joke, Nami."

"What?"

"I know you're joking. You just wanted to get me pissed, that's all. There's no way you could've known everything you say you do," Naruto said, relaxing. "That's cruel, Nami. Real cruel." He crossed his arms and sighed the way adults would when they were thinking 'I can't believe you, you silly girl.'

One of the things that Nami hated most was not being believed, _especially _if she was actually telling the truth. Before she knew what she was saying, she blurted, "I'm not lying! It's true! You should know that if I was lying it wouldn't be as stupid as this! It'd actually be believable!"

"Yeah right. So you're saying that unbelievable things are actually true?"

"Usually!"

Naruto laughed.

Nami narrowed her eyes challengingly. He really _was _acting like everything she said was a joke. "Fine then! I'll prove that I'm not lying. Go on, ask me anything that you think I don't know about this world!"

"What kind of question is that? 'This world'? What?"

"Just ask me a question about the village or something! Do it!" she ordered.

"Okay, okay!" Naruto stroked his chin thoughtfully and finally came up with a question. "When's my birthday?"

Nami raised an eyebrow.

"Don't know it, do ya? No one does…" Naruto deflated.

"No, I'm just surprised that _that's _your question," Nami said as she crossed her arms. "Your birthday's October 10."

"Eh…Iruka-sensei must've told you!" Naruto said stubbornly. "That one was too easy! Here's another one…"

Naruto continuously asked Nami questions about the village, the citizens, and himself. He was shocked every time she answered right, but always asked her another right away. Soon he was beginning to believe her crazy story of being able to see the future or whatever she had meant.

After numerous questions, he finally decided to ask her a question that he was sure she wouldn't know unless she really _was _from a different universe that knew everything about his world. "Why did the villagers hate me while I was growing up?"

Nami was hesitant about her answer. Why was Naruto asking her a question on such a touchy subject? The reason why the hated him? She wasn't expecting that, but of course, she knew the answer. "Because…You contain the Nine-Tailed Fox demon that terrorized Konoha village twelve years ago."

"…That's right," Naruto said, eyes wide. "You…You _are _from a different world."

"See? I told you I wasn't lying."

"So then…why didn't you tell us about Sasuke?"

"I told you already, we didn't want to mess up the plot."

"…Is that the same thing as fate?" Naruto said, confused.

"Uh…yeah, sort of. From what I know, Sasuke was fated to leave Konoha either way," Nami said slowly. Unfortunately, she realized she sounded like a bitter Neji. "Never mind. It's hard to explain. But when you're fifteen, you're gonna become strong."

"Strong enough to bring Sasuke back?"

"Maybe."

Silence followed the last word. Both of them needed time to think, that was certain. While Naruto thought of how he'd be able to get stronger, Nami wondered if it was wise to let Naruto know the big secret. She was only adding to the list of people who knew the secret already, and Naruto could only keep his mouth shut for so long. She was sure that Naruto wouldn't tell _everyone_…that is…he may tell Sakura. Then again, he hadn't really told anyone of harboring the Kyuubi within him, so maybe it was okay to trust him. After all, he _was _her Otouto, whether he agreed or not, which she figured he did.

_And besides, _Nami thought. _Midori told Neji and Naruto's a _lot_ nicer than _him

That was right. If Midori ever started lecturing her about telling Naruto the secret, she'd sick that one on her. It was the perfect comeback that would put the girl who had always been the victor of arguments into a state of speechlessness. Neji knew, so why couldn't Naruto?

Then she realized something. Exactly how many people knew the secret?

There was Iruka, then Marieke, Orochimaru and at least one of his cronies (AKA Kabuto), Neji, and then Naruto. Nami was pretty sure those were the only people who knew…the only people she knew of anyway. Who knows how many people actually knew of Team 12's secret? Whoever they were, at least they were courteous enough to keep their mouths shut.

---

"Shizune! Send any team of elites available after the group that had gone to Kiba no Kuni, now!" Tsunade ordered.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama!" Shizune nodded and ran out of the room.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes vigilantly as she tightened her grip on the paper she had just received. It was in sloppy scrawl, as if the person had been in a hurry to write and send it.

_Konoha – Urgent. Back-up needed. Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame from Akatsuki attacking. – Hikari Midori, Team 12_

Suddenly, Shizune appeared at the door again. "Tsunade-sama, most of the elites are already away on missions!"

Tsunade cursed under her breath. "Then send the elites that are still here! I'll prepare a second group of skilled others! Move it!"

From Midori's note, it was now obvious to Tsunade that what Marieke had told her was true. And now there was an attack from Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame on a C-Ranked mission? Things just kept getting better and better.

If the girls were really from a different world, what would happen if they were to die? Tsunade didn't want to think of the consequences. Whatever it was, undoubtedly no good could come of it.

The Godaime Hokage had sent the back-up team on the first team's trail quite some time ago, and they should be catching up to the first team soon. She had chosen a mixture of the most advanced lesser-ranked ninja she could think of, but one thing tugged at her mind constantly. What if this would be a repeat of the retrieval mission of Uchiha Sasuke? Once again, she was forced to chance failure.

---

Hours seemed to pass slowly as the carriages bustled along their way. Nami had offered to keep lookout and Naruto agreed, quickly falling asleep afterwards. She was tempted to draw on his face, and when she finally found a marker, she sensed people coming in close behind them.

Nami turned her attention to the figures running after the carriage and took out several projectiles. Her chakra had not yet recovered, but she was still a pretty fair shot. Before they could get any closer into view, Nami chucked the weapons at them which proved to be useless considering they had their own to deflect the weapons.

She was about to fling another round at the group when she heard a familiar voice.

"HEY! KNOCK THAT OFF! IT'S US!"

"Huh…? Sakura?!"

A few minutes later and Nami was staring at the three people sitting in front of her who happened to be, of all people, Sakura, Shikamaru, and Shino. "So what's up with you guys showing up anyway?"

"Stop acting like you didn't want us to come," Shikamaru sighed. "But I know I didn't want to."

"I thought Midori sent for elites, though," Nami said. "We've got Uchiha Itachi on our hands."

"Uchiha?" Sakura gasped.

"Yeah," Nami nodded. "So why'd Tsunade-sama send you guys?"

"She also sent a small team of jounin and one ANBU member along," Shikamaru explained. "They're keeping themselves hidden, but following us as we speak. If the enemies were lurking around, they'd be able to catch them before they get to us."

"I get it." When she finished the sentence, Nami yawned openly.

"You should get some rest, Nami," Sakura advised. "We'll take up lookout from here."

"Yeah, okay," Nami said. "Nothing will probably gonna happen anyway." So she made herself as comfortable as possible within the many loads of boxes and bags and nodded off.

The ride was bumpy, and it was no surprise Midori woke up easily when the cart went over a particularly large bump. She ended up banging her head against one of the lower boxes when the haul jumped, forcing her out of her sleeping position. Rubbing her forehead, Midori noticed the presence of more Konoha nin.

"We are the team you sent for," Shino said when he saw her confused expression.

"…Oh…"

"There's more, if you're wondering," Shikamaru said. "Some jounin…an ANBU."

"Oh."

"Since you're awake, Midori, could you tell us about the enemies?" Sakura asked.

"I wouldn't be able to tell you much," Midori replied seriously. "I wasn't the one who confronted them."

"Then who did?"

"Marieke-sensei and Kyoko fought Itachi, each one-on-one," Midori explained. "Now they're both unconscious, just like your sensei was."

Sakura was silent for a moment. "Like…Kakashi-sensei…"

Midori nodded. "And Nami and Naruto-kun fought both Itachi and Kisame, but they retreated, which was wise. If you were to ask my opinion, none of us would be able to stand a winning's chance against those men."

"I see," Sakura muttered.

"Hey, what exactly are we guarding anyway?" Shikamaru questioned, knocking on one of the boxes.

"Um…I wouldn't know," Midori lied.

"Lying to cover embarrassment is not something one should practice often," Shino said intelligently.

Midori shot Shino a glare inwardly, but smiled sheepishly. "I'd rather not talk about it, that's all."

Shikamaru and Sakura exchanged confused glances, but said nothing to press the subject. Instead, Sakura asked, "So do you think there's anything I could do about Kyoko and Marieke-sensei?"

Midori shook her head. "I doubt it unless Hokage-sama taught you how to repel the effect of Mangekyou Sharingan."

Before Sakura could answer, Shino abruptly stood up and looked out into the distance mysteriously. "There are people coming." His gaze was followed by the other three and the air grew tense.

"It's them," Midori gasped. "Itachi and Kisame."

* * *

Okay guys...I'll be honest...I have no idea where I'm going with this. Okay, scratch that. I have KIND of an idea of where I'm going with this. I know how I want this to end up...but I don't have a clear picture of how I'm gonna get there. I'll figure something out, but...yeah...I don't know why I decided to announce this pointless thing anyway. You know those days...where you feel like your...half dead...or something...Blah.

Next time I'll probably be more cheerful...then again...It'll probably depend on the reviews. And life.

Thanks for reading!

R&R please!

-HM


	45. Looking Underneath the Underneath

Thanks for the reviews, everyone!

Yeesh...I've been so busy lately. I JUST came on the computer. So the update's kinda late...and so will be the update on the website. Don't expect one until Saturday... Then again, I can sort of blame myself for procrastinating so much. What was I doing, you may ask? Well, let's take a peek in the life and times of Hikari Midori-chan...(Heheh...filling up space? Whatever do you mean?)

I was Mary-Sue-Hunting this week. It was odd. Anyone ever hear of the Mary Sue Litmus Test? It's long. Heheh...I tested Midori on it and got a 68. XD I think 68 qualified as an "Uber-Sue" or something. I was so amused. I probably got 68 because Midori is a self-insert. I JUST REALIZED SELF-INSERTS AUTOMATICALLY MEANS SUE! Yeah...Don't laugh. I guess there's more to Mary Sues than perfect everything.

I didn't realize they had stuff on LiveJournal that completely KILLED OCs. People really hate them, but I can't really blame them. It's terrible, the stuff they write, though I can't say I didn't read only one. Even if the story was particularly...not good...I find it pretty mean. Though I did laugh multiple times at their crude but clever humor...I'm happy to say that my story was no where to be found on these flaming communities...PHEW.

Speaking of flames, I discovered users that ONLY flame. It was scary, reading their flames and their profile as well...I didn't realize people actually got an account on FF just to flame...Now I see how ignorant I am. XD Ah...what an entertaining week I've had...

ANYWAY. About the story. This will be the concluding chapter to the little mission...arc...thingy. It's a good thing too. School's coming up...and the next time I update, I'll be in school ALREADY. It has sort of an exciting feeling to it though...

Now that I've probably spent about half of your time on pointless things, I suppose I should just get on with the chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

**_

* * *

Last time on Narutoverse no Jutsu..._**

_**"It's them," Midori gasped. "Itachi and Kisame."**_

* * *

"H-How did they get past the elite team?!" Sakura stuttered. "They didn't even contact us! Do you think…?"

"No way," Midori shook her head. "They couldn't possibly have enough chakra after their battles to defeat a team of elites…could they?"

"No time to ponder that now," Shikamaru said as he immediately started thinking up any possible way of escaping with everyone intact. "It seems none of the couriers have noticed the enemies yet. It's best not to alarm them unless the situation is fatal."

"But Itachi and Kisame will be here soon!" Sakura pointed out. "It _is _fatal!" She looked back to check how far away they were again when her expression turned to that of confusion. "Where'd they go?"

CRASH!

In a split second, the cart the four of them had been riding on had split into two, sending the horse onto its hind legs and neighing alarmingly. That easily brought the residents from Kiba no Kuni's attention towards the back where a large bandaged sword laid smack dab in the middle of the broken wooden pieces. Grasping the hilt was a very dirty-looking Kisame.

All four of the genin had narrowly avoided the assault, Midori leaping onto the second load where Naruto and Nami had been sleeping (they were awake now), Shino grabbing Sakura at the last minute and pulling both of their bodies to the safety of the ground, and Shikamaru ducking and rolling onto the trail before Samehada could slice his head off clean. Now they were scattered, staring down the enemy who had appeared before them.

Nami, who was annoyed to be awaken from her nice dream (whatever that was) found that Kisame was hard to look at. He was still covered in a fair amount of the sludge she had dropped on him although it seemed he had made an effort to get _partially _clean. The vines were gone, at least. It was obviously a rushed job.

"I've got some payback for you and that other brat, little girl," Kisame grimaced.

"How did you get past the elites?" Midori demanded.

"Those guys? Easy. They're a little busy with a false trail at the moment, and by the time they figure it out and come to rescue you little rats, you'll be dead," Kisame scoffed. Then he turned his attention to Nami and Naruto and glared. "But more importantly…You two trying to make a fools out of me and Itachi with your little tricks?"

The mentioned Uchiha stepped out from behind the taller man, and everyone around almost dared to start pounding the ground, laughing themselves to tears. They didn't, of course. It was Itachi, after all. But still…he was just _asking _for humiliation, what with the hearts and swirly things painted on his face. He even had a few flicks of whisker marks, courtesy of Uzumaki Naruto.

"Nice make-up, Uchiha," Nami said audaciously.

Itachi narrowed his eyes. "This. Is. Nothing."

He was clearly lying.

_How the heck did they get Itachi's face…like _thatMidori thought.

Nami laughed. "Yeah ri—" She was stopped short by a kunai appearing several millimeters before her neck, Itachi standing right behind her. Nami's heart skipped a beat.

"Don't act as if you have the right to belittle me," Itachi growled. "You're just an arrogant girl who deserves to die."

_After using Mangekyou twice he still has the power to move so quickly? _Nami thought as a drop of sweat ran down her face. _No…He was a little slower this time…I was actually able to see him move. But…_

"You…!" Naruto shouted. "Get your ass over here! I'm the one you want!"

Itachi glanced at Naruto for a moment, and Shikamaru saw it and immediately took advantage of the moment. Muttering, "Kagemane no Jutsu" his shadows started to extend, slinking towards the Akatsuki member speedily. Before the shadow could round its way around Nami, however, Itachi leapt out of harm's way, causing the Nara to retract his shadow with a curse under his breath.

"So there are more brats to deal with…Now which one of you has the scroll, hm?" Kisame demanded. He glanced at Midori and gave her a toothy grin. "You, maybe?"

Midori couldn't help but flinch. Of course she was the one with the scroll, but how did he know?

Kisame chuckled. "Yes. I believe you _do _have the scroll." He lifted Samehada onto his shoulder and said, "You're not very good at hiding emotion. Easier for me, I guess. But don't worry, this'll be quick." As he started to walk, Shino outstretched his arms, silently commanding his insects to attack.

The larger Akastuki member automatically carved through the swarm and took that chance to swing at the open Konoha genin. Shino ducked backwards and flipped hastily several feet away, then deployed another horde of insects.

Midori could only watch this for about half a second, for her senses were screaming to move out of the way before Itachi pummeled her. She darted to the right, barely avoiding Itachi's attack. Her feet left the ground as she dodged a sweep kick, but felt the presence of the mass murderer behind her in a split second. Tossing herself forward and rolling against the ground, Midori knew she couldn't be able to keep up with Itachi forever. Sure enough, she tripped more or less gracefully onto the ground, completely vulnerably. It would've been the end…if she didn't have allies with her.

Sakura flung a round of shuriken in Itachi's direction, forcing him to avoid the weapons by stepping back. Shikamaru appeared behind Itachi and made a kick at the head, missing by inches.

Meanwhile, the non-shinobi men were cowering behind their merchandise, watching with bated breath. Noticing this, Nami shouted, "What're you waiting for?! Get out of here!" She knew for one that if those men didn't have the scroll, they wouldn't be followed. Even more, the Akatsuki wanted _them_, not a bunch of random Kiba no Kuni occupants.

Hesitantly, Nemuru wordlessly obeyed her command and started barking orders to the men to continue. Soon, they were starting to move, and just as the Konoha genin had hoped, Itachi and Kisame did nothing to stop them. They were useless to the Akatsuki members anyway.

"So you think just because we're outnumbered, you genin can defeat _us_?" Kisame laughed. "Truly amusing."

"Enough," Itachi snapped. "Get the scroll from the girl."

"You're not going anywhere!" Shikamaru shouted. "Kagemane no Jutsu!" His shadow expanded for a second time as it ran towards Itachi and…

"What the—!" Kisame roared. First he had been blocking a bunch of disgusting pests and the next minute he couldn't move his body.

"Now we're getting somewhere," Shikamaru muttered. He stood up in a straighter position, and Kisame did the same. Shikamaru was currently standing behind Kisame, and Kisame couldn't see what the young genin was doing at all.

"Kisame, you fool," Itachi said. "Falling into another trap like that."

"It _really _isn't my day, Itachi," Kisame growled. "So spare me."

The Konoha nin weren't about to give the men a chance to chat more. Shino instantly released a throng of dark bugs buzzing around Kisame, whose face had a hint off anxiety.

"What is this?!" Kisame demanded angrily.

"My insects will eat away at your chakra until you're too weak to even move," Shino said coolly.

"You little…"

Itachi started moving swiftly towards Shikamaru to put an end to the Kagemane, but the other members of the makeshift team would have none of that. While Shino sent more insects at the Uchiha, Sakura started gathering chakra into her hand the way Tsunade-sensei had. Although she wasn't able to do so while running yet, the blow would be horrendous. As soon as she had gotten a sufficient amount running through her hand, she charged towards the older shinobi, fist arched.

CRACK!

Itachi had dodged back at the last second and Sakura's attack cracked the natural ground in front of her. The Uchiha didn't look too impressed, and he merely darted behind the pink-haired kunoichi and gave her a hefty kick sending her flying forward. Sakura tumbled painfully several meters, skidding to a stop with plenty of scrapes and bruises.

"Sakura!" Midori called out. She narrowed her eyes and extended her right arm, pulling back her left. The familiar light of visible chakra forming into the transparent bow she had used during the fight with Kidoumaru appeared. Once the arrow had shaped, she let the molded chakra fly.

Itachi stepped to the side briefly, avoiding the projectile. Getting slightly annoyed with all these bothersome genin trash, he regretted using the Mangekyou Sharingan more than once. His plan to finish this assignment quickly had been dashed, and now he was starting to feel the after-effects. But even now, he wasn't about to let a hodgepodge of mere genin get the best of him.

By this time, Kisame was feeling his chakra drain faster and faster, and the sensation of millions of insects crawling all over his body didn't make this experience any better. His thoughts right now were along the lines of "I'll slice those damned brats to pieces!" and "What's taking Itachi so long to get rid of them?" Kisame knew that Itachi was probably fatigued from the events that had happened, but seeing him like this was just plain odd.

At that moment, Kisame felt strange. His body felt…_lighter_. Then he noticed he was able to move freely on his own and grinned toothily. Excellent.

_I'm at my limit now…_ Shikamaru thought tiredly as his shadow receded. _Hopefully t0hat guy's chakra's been cut down to size…_

"DIE!"

Shikamaru ducked when the sword swung over his head. "Wha-What?!"

"Don't underestimate how much chakra I have, kid," Kisame said. "A few minutes of draining still leaves me with enough to spare." Without another word, he abruptly slashed at Shikamaru who dodged once more, unable to avoid a shallow cut that bled instantly. He was forced off his feet again; Kisame wasn't going to give him a break.

Itachi noticed his partner's release while stepping back to avoid another attack from a relentless Naruto.

"Step aside, Itachi!" Kisame shouted, heaving Samehada.

Naruto dodged out of the way just in time and aimed for Kisame's gut. The shark-like man dodged his attempt and ducked, making Nami's surprise attack miss. The girl flew overhead, landing roughly several meters away from the Akatsuki member.

Most of the genin were starting to go aid Naruto, and Itachi had plenty of time to think. _The trap we set won't keep the elites away any longer…They'll be coming soon. Things will start to get difficult for such a simple mission if that is so; we aren't well-prepared for such an attack, especially since the elite group consists of _them_…_

"Hey Itachi!" Kisame called as he managed to get away from the mass of genin attacking him at once. "What's with you?!" He maneuvered his sword swiftly, cutting Naruto and making him fall back, Midori rushing to his side.

"We should leave, Kisame," Itachi said.

"WHAT?!"

"Idiot, the elites should be on their way by now," Itachi grimaced.

"But what about the mission?! Our punishment won't be—" Kisame suddenly noticed Itachi wasn't there. He turned his attention in the direction of a scream and saw his partner holding up the black-haired girl up by the neck. _Guess he hasn't weakened fully yet…_

Without a word, Itachi reached into her back pouch and pulled out a scroll. Then, dropping Midori, he turned his head toward Kisame and said, "We're leaving." Then, he disappeared.

Kisame frowned, but followed Itachi's lead.

Meanwhile, Midori was sitting on the ground, gasping for breath, and rubbing her neck gingerly.

"You okay, Midori?" Nami asked as she helped her friend up.

"Yeah," Midori responded.

"You're lucky he didn't kill you," Shikamaru said.

Midori smiled half-heartedly. She noticed his wound had been healed by none other than Sakura during the Four vs. Kisame fight. Looking around, she realized that although she hadn't caught it during the confusion of the fight, Shino was heavily breathing due to the extensive use of his insects and chakra. Nami also had a few shallow wounds here or there. Sakura was busy healing her minor cuts, and Naruto was panting with his newly-closed wounds. Shikamaru was looking as if nothing in the world was more troublesome than this mission.

A few minutes later, a masked ANBU ninja and none other than Gai, Kakashi, and a few other jounin the genin didn't recognize showed up.

"Nice timing," Nami sighed. "You missed everything…"

"There were several difficult traps along with a few kage bunshin," the ANBU stated. "Forgive me. What happened here?"

What came next was a brief description of the events that had taken place just moments before.

"So now the clients are heading towards Kiba no Kuni unguarded?" Kakashi said, raising an eyebrow.

"I doubt anyone else is going to attack them," Midori said. "All the enemy wanted was a valuable scroll that the clients were trying to smuggle in without proper payment to Konoha."

"I can't believe he stole the scroll after all we've done…" Nami growled, clenching her fist. "I swear, we'll get it—"

"Don't blow a gasket, neechan," Naruto said, giving her a weary wink. "I got it covered." He reached into his back pouch and pulled out a scroll. It wasn't just any scroll, however. It was…(insert unnecessary suspense music here) THE SCROLL OF A THOUSAND JUTSU!

After Naruto had shown this, the older beings exchanged surprised glances. Knowing this useful little piece of information, they knew that if the Kiba no Kuni residents got to their country without them, they either wouldn't have to pay the additional fee for carrying a valuable item _and _they'd get their money back or they'd be able to charge them for stealing. Not to mention Kyoko and Marieke were still onboard...So, naturally, the Konoha nin raced off to catch up with the group. Luckily for them, they had stopped a distance well away from where Itachi and Kisame had attacked so the horses would be able to rest.

When the Konoha team got there, Nemuru assured them (quite nervously) that he wouldn't have _dreamed _ofdemanding a legal refund. The older group of ninja must have scared him more than the young genin did.

Now all the genin were sitting on one of the cargo carts like earlier before while the jounin and ANBU walked along the sides. The ANBU ninja did state, "You kids deserve some rest" and they weren't about to complain about it.

"So you didn't tell us _how _you managed to keep the scroll!" Nami said.

"Well—" Midori started.

"It must've been when you went to heal Naruto, am I right?" Shikamaru asked knowingly. He smirked slightly when Midori stared at him. "I saw it."

"As always…" Midori said, a bit jealous Shikamaru got to uncover the mystery.

"Then what was the scroll Itachi took?" Sakura asked.

Naruto and Midori exchanged amused glances.

---

Itachi and Kisame had finally reached the Akatsuki hideout and were greeted by Deidara and Sasori.

"You're late," Sasori growled.

"We know, we know," Kisame sighed.

"Hey Itachi, you've got a little something on your…" Deidara said, a smile growing on his face.

"Shut up," Itachi said as he tossed Deidara the scroll. "Here it is."

"That thing's more trouble than its worth…" Kisame commented tiredly.

Deidara opened the scroll for verification and raised an eyebrow. "What the hell?"

Itachi narrowed his eyes and leaned over to see what it was. Kisame and Sasori, curious, did as well. Kisame turned considerably red and Itachi closed his eyes as if secretly trying to calm himself down.

---

"And what exactly were you doing with one of those porno scrolls in your pocket?" Sakura said with a low, dangerous voice.

"Eh…it was…a gift for Kakashi-sensei?"

Sakura then proceeded to lecture Naruto about hiding perverse smut. In other words, she beat the tar out of the poor boy while shouting threats of what she'd do the next time she caught him turning into a mini-Kakashi-sensei. Naruto didn't need to be told twice.

"How humiliating," Shino commented.

* * *

AND THE ANNOYINGLY LONG MISSION ENDS! Sorry, Itchy. I had to do it. It was really hard to keep Itachi and Kisame in charater...But I think I did a decent job, don't you? I hope so. Anyway...I suppose the story will go on for another two or three chapters...Looks like I won't make it to 300 reviews. Aw well. There's always...THE SEQUEL!

R&R please!

-HM


	46. Scroll of a Thousand Jutsu

WHAT?! IT CANNOT BE! AN EARLY UPDATE?! GASP!

Yeah...I know for one that I'll probably be kind of busy on Friday, so I'd rather not make you guys wait. Not only that, but everyone deserves a quick update since I got more reviews than I expected for the last chapter! (HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY!) Plus, school's already started and I my teachers felt the need to assign us homework on the second day, so I can't WAIT to see what they want us to do during the REST of the year (not)! I think my brain is dead. I've been away from school way too long...

The chapters are coming along pretty smoothly and quickly, actually, so perhaps if I have the time, another update won't be too far in the future...Even though I'm still debating with myself about the ending! (DARN. And thought I had it ALL figured out.) It's one of those situations where you decide on one thing and then start thinking about it, then end up changing again. And again. And again. I keep telling myself it's gotta end somewhere...

Anywho, hope you like the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

"Scroll of a Thousand Jutsu?" Tsunade questioned, staring at the small scroll that the ANBU had set in front of her. 

"Yes," he nodded. "Once Nemuru-san realized the Akatsuki were after it, he immediately gave it to us as a gift. Apparently he didn't want anything to do with it anymore."

"I understand," Tsunade said as her eyes darted across the crisp parchment. She narrowed her eyes. She had heard of only a handful of jutsu before. It was foolish of the man Nemuru to give it away for free, but it wasn't like Tsunade was going to protest. She'd have to put this in a safe place...Besides, she had other business to take care of this evening, and she couldn't be worrying about items from a mission that had been held two days ago.

---

Marieke stared out her window absently. She had left the hospital only a day ago, and the fatigued feeling still dizzied her from time to time. Fortunately for her, Tsunade was able to cure Marieke of the Mangekyou Sharingan she was under some time ago. The woman was a miracle worker, and although she was grateful of the Godaime's help, she wasn't so happy about what Tsunade had said once she had finished.

_**Flashback**_

"_**Come to my office tomorrow once you're feeling all right," Tsunade said. She turned her head just as she was out the door, "We need to discuss the girls."**_

_**End Flashback**_

Come to think of it, she should be getting going now to avoid being late. As Marieke sauntered down the streets, she couldn't help but feel a bit down. Of course, it was she that suggested to Tsunade the dangers that would befall the girls, so she should naturally be happy that the Godaime Hokage finally saw that. Still…Marieke was nervous of what Tsunade decided to do about it.

"Good afternoon, Marieke-san," Izumo greeted her. "Hokage-sama is expecting you."

"Thanks." Marieke entered the Hokage's office, nodding on the way in to Kotetsu who held the door open.

Tsunade was, oddly enough, _not _procrastinating at her desk. Actually, a scroll was open in front of her and she was seemed to just flash a glance from the writing to Marieke.

"You wanted to speak with me, Hokage-sama?" Marieke said with difficulty.

"Yes, you're just in time," Tsunade said, resting her head against her propped hand. "The mission was a success, and yet it seems to have opened up more problems."

"That's one way to put it."

"Remind me why is it their in so much danger?"

"They…know more than anyone in this world do," Marieke answered. "Somehow they're able to predict the future and the happenings of the world without any form of prior snooping."

"Right, right…Then there's no doubt Orochimaru's found out about it, seeing as he wanted not only Sasuke but one of the girls. There's a good chance these rouge ninja have found out as well. Tell me the truth, Marieke. What would you do to keep them out of harm's way?"

Marieke's face was emotionlessly set to the Hokage's serious tone. "If I could, I'd send them back to their own universe for good."

Tsunade nodded thoughtfully. "Yes…That would be the right choice." She slid the scroll across her desk to the jounin instructor and said, "I want you to read this."

The woman's pale green eyes whipped across the page; slowly at first, but gaining speed as she skimmed the text. Her expression turned anxious, even behind the mask. As soon as she finished, Marieke turned her gaze to the deadpan Godaime Hokage.

"This…This is…"

"Yes. With this, the girls will be able to get home."

---

"No time to rest, Kyoko! Keep going! You gotta get back into shape!" Nami called to her friend from the tree she was lounging against.

"I—don't—see—you—training!" Kyoko gasped as she dodged another wave of projectiles Midori threw. "You…You lazy—"

"Hey!" Nami interrupted arrogantly, "I wasn't the one who was defeated by Itachi and Kisame!"

"Of course not! You ran away!" Kyoko shot back. "And how am I supposed to beat _two _Akatsuki members?!"

"Details, details! It's another win for me since you got pwned!"

"What?! You're _counting _our failures?!"

"No, not really. Just yours."

"Eh—Kyoko, look out!" Midori called as she dropped to the ground. She hadn't seen Kyoko tear her concentration away from the sparring to yell at Nami full blast and sent a series of kunai and shuriken in her teammate's direction.

"Augh!" Kyoko shrieked as she ducked out of the way, resulting in the pointy objects to embed themselves just above Nami's head.

Nami looked up for a split second then cried, "Watch where you're aiming those things, Midori!"

"Sorry, sorry!"

"Serves you right," Kyoko huffed.

"Why I oughtta…" Nami yanked out a kunai and chucked it towards Kyoko who stepped to the side to avoid it.

Kyoko stuck her tongue out playfully and flashed the victory sign. "Maybe _you're _the one who has to get back in shape."

Midori sighed and plopped down on the grass in a lying position and watched Nami chase around Kyoko who was nimble from the previous training. She was completely wiped out from the one-on-one training with not only Kyoko, but Nami a bit earlier. Because she was the one who was able to craft one-second armor around any part of her body with chakra, it was a given that she would be the one to pose as her teammates' workout dummy.

It was then she sensed another chakra's presence, something she, Kyoko and Nami had been getting better at every day. The two girls stopped their quarreling for a second and they all turned simultaneously to their silent sensei.

"Training without my orders?" Marieke smiled beneath her mask. "My, my. What a surprise."

"We're pretty used to it since you disappear all the time," Kyoko pouted.

"Something's up, Marieke-sensei?" Midori asked.

"Yes, actually," Marieke nodded. "Hokage-sama would like a word with all of you."

"It's not another mission, is it?" Kyoko said uncertainly. "I'm still kinda dizzy from the last one…"

"You and me both, Kyoko," Marieke agreed. "But no, it isn't another mission. This one concerns…well, you'll see when you get there."

All three girls exchanged confused glances, but followed their sensei obediently.

The walk to the Hokage Tower was quiet. Marieke knew the girls were whispering about who-knows-what, and she tuned them out to contemplate her own thoughts. She wasn't excited to see the girls' expressions when they found out Tsunade knew about their not-so-little secret. Surely they'd explode, or at least, Nami and Kyoko would. There would definitely be a lot of explaining done, and she wasn't entirely confident they'd even want to follow the plans set for them.

"I have a question."

Marieke's thoughts were interrupted and she looked down at Nami, but found the question wasn't directed to her. They had already arrived, and Nami was staring intently at Kotetsu.

"What's that bandage thingy for anyway?"

Kotetsu blinked.

"Er, um, come along, girls," Marieke said hastily, pushing the three of them down the hall. She waved sheepishly toward Kotetsu and turned back around.

"Smooth, sensei."

"SILENCE."

The four-woman squad stepped into Tsunade's office. The paperwork was still stacked high, and Marieke felt like she was reliving her first meeting that day.

"What's up, Tsunade-baa?" Nami asked.

Tsunade ignored the name Nami had picked up from Naruto and said, "Would you girls like to go home?"

Judging by their expressions, Tsunade guessed Marieke hadn't told them that she told her. Kyoko had cocked her head, Midori had a look of utter confusion, and Nami had an eyebrow raised.

"What do you mean?" Kyoko ventured.

"It's a straight-forward question," Tsunade continued. "Would you like to go home? That is, back to your home universe."

You could hear a pin drop. The world seemed to freeze right then and there. Then, young eyes traveled to Marieke, staring widely.

"Sensei…" Midori said quietly. "You didn't…"

"_Tell _Tsunade-baachan!" Nami shouted. "You did!"

"You said you'd keep it a secret!" Kyoko raged.

"If you recall, I said I'd protect you with my life," Marieke said evenly. "Protecting you would also include letting Hokage-sama know of your situation to keep you from harm's way."

"I can't believe this!"

"What's all this about going home, then, Tsunade-sama?" Midori asked, barely over a whisper. "Is there really a way?"

Kyoko and Nami turned their attention back to the Hokage, who had already reached for the item known as the Scroll of a Thousand Jutsu. Holding it in her hand securely, she said, "Yes, there is. There is a jutsu called 'Uchuu Ayumi', the Universal Step."

"So you're telling me with this Uchuu Ayumi…"

"We can go back to our world with this Uchuu Ayumi?" Kyoko finished.

"Do you want to get rid of us that badly?" Nami demanded. "You choose now, in the village's time of need to tell a full team of ninja to _go home_?"

"Nami," Marieke said sternly, gaining her subordinates' notice. "It's nothing like that. You've noticed some of the most dangerous criminals targeting you. Last time they were just testing what your abilities were. Who knows what they'll do now that they know what you're capable of?"

Nami didn't have an answer for that. Her eyes stayed narrowed and she still gave off a scornful vibe. It had been so long she and her friends called Konoha home, and although their 'pasts' were scatterbrained and last-minute, the previous time in the 'Naruto' world had created new memories. She could barely remember the 'real' world or the reason why she hadn't been trying to get back. Life had just gone on naturally. But somehow she, as well as Kyoko and Midori, knew that it wouldn't be so natural hopping back into their own universe once more as if nothing had happened at all.

"When are we leaving?"

Nami and Kyoko snapped their heads towards Midori. _What?_

"It should be as soon as possible," Tsunade said. Her tone hinted she was also a bit surprised. "But I'll allow you to spend a day here to say your goodbyes. Tomorrow night, you'll take your leave. Is that alright?"

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama." Midori bowed for several seconds then left the room.

The door closed softly. Kyoko hadn't noticed she'd been holding her breath and suddenly let it out, beginning to talk, "What was that about? And what do you _mean _we have only one day?"

Nami let out an irritated groan and took her leave, slamming the door and startling Izumo and Kotetsu who were standing just outside the office. The two looked at each other in bewilderment and then peeked into the room.

"Hokage-sama?" Izumo started.

"Forget it, forget it," Tsunade sighed, massaging her temples.

"I'll um…just go now," Kyoko said awkwardly, leaving after her teammates.

"They just…need some time," Marieke assured Tsunade.

"Right…I need a drink…"

---

"What I don't understand is _why _you wanna do this!" Nami said angrily, pacing in front of Midori who was sorting through the piles of junk stacked in the apartment room's closet.

"It's about time, isn't it?" Midori said with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "We've been here long enough, don't you think?"

"Yeah! Long enough to _stay for good_!"

"And do what? Continue to barely support ourselves with mission money?"

"Why not?"

Midori let out a bitter laugh. "You _do _realize I'm still doing extra work just to pay off rent? We only do a few missions a day and get an average amount of money _which _is used for _food _and _clothes _and _other necessities_. We can't keep living like this, okay?!"

Nami narrowed her eyes. "Well…So what?"

Midori stopped and glared at her teammate. "So _what_? So WHAT?"

Kyoko flinched. She had hardly ever been the one to helplessly watch as two people argue. It was strange to see Midori and Nami talk to each other like this. Usually she or Nami were the ones rambling on while Midori stuck to staying quiet and waiting for them to finish. Not only that, but if Midori ever voiced her opinion, Nami would either agree (stubbornly or not, depending on whether she had other ideas…) or just persuade Midori to follow her plans. One event seemed to change the two of them so quickly…And Kyoko was still recovering from the recent shock in Tsunade's office.

"We. Are. Not. Staying," Midori stated sharply.

"Look, if we have to work a little extra, fine! I'll chip in, and Kyoko will too!" Nami tried.

"That isn't the point!"

"Then what _is _the point? Explain it to me!"

Midori took a deep breath and said, "The point is we've stayed away from our _real _universe for too long. Not to mention we'll cause everyone here trouble. They're still recovering from the attack with Orochimaru, not to mention losing Sasuke. If we stay any longer, Konoha will be in danger in its greatest time of need. I won't let that happen." She went back to the piles and picked up a graying T-Shirt and tossed it over her shoulder, deeming it unneeded.

Nami glared at Midori. "You're really starting to piss me off. So what you're telling me is that you're willing to cut all the ties we've made with the people here? You're gonna throw away everything to go back to that dull, boring life back home?"

"Yeah," Midori muttered. "If it's for a good cause, I will. And it is."

"Yeah well, good luck with that," Nami scowled. "I may not have any serious relationships with anyone in this world, but I know you do."

"…It's nothing. It always was."

Both Nami and Kyoko knew she was lying. She had said it softly, almost inaudibly, and if Nami had said anything else to her, she surely would've started tearing up on the spot. But no, Nami wasn't about to say anymore. Her point had been made clear.

"The air's thick in here," Nami said curtly, making towards the door. She barely brushed past Kyoko, who stood as stiff as a board. Her limbs seemed to be glued in place, and dependent confusion was written all over her face.

What had just happened?

* * *

Wow...That chapter was...what do you want to call it? Depressing? Over-Dramatic? Short? All of the above? I was really in the zone when I wrote this, actually. Listening to angsty music and typing does something to my brain...I wonder what would happen if I typed and listened to annoyingly happy music? Hm... 

When I think about it, Scroll of a Thousand Jutsu sounds REALLY cliche and...stuff. But so does "Universal Step". BTW about the Japanese, I'm not 100 percent sure about it cuz my dictionary isn't all that reliable. If anyone's ever learned Japanese, please tell me what it's really supposed to be because I have the Japanese language knowledge of a rock. In the sequel I doubt I'll use Japanese names for jutsu, although original canon jutsu would sound kind of stupid...What do you guys think? Should I, or shouldn't I? That is the question...(Now I'm ripping of Shakespeare...SOMEBODY STOP ME!)

For those of you wondering WHY someone would just make up a jutsu like that...well...I'll just explain in the next chapter as though I planned it! I mean...LIKE I planned it. Because I did. (cough)

After reading this chapter, you're probably thinking, "That is SO CORNY" because it is and I am. (sweatdrop)

R&R please!

-HM


	47. Morning of the Departure

HI EVERYONE! I'M SO PUMPED UP TODAY! Why? BECAUSE I'M GONNA GO TO AOD CON!!! It's gonna be so awesome, I just can't wait! If you hadn't heard from Aizoanime about it yet, you've heard it now! Once again, I'll be going as Shippuden Sakura, and as soon as the con ends, expect to see pics of us being stupid at the con posted soon! IT'LL BE A BLAST! Aw...all my gatorade is gone...

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

The next day, Kyoko found out that Midori had refrained from sleeping in her room and had instead fallen asleep around five AM within the heaps of various items. Not only that, but Nami hadn't come home either. Wanting to do something for her friends but not knowing what, she decided to attempt to make breakfast. It was their last day here, after all…

Ten minutes later, Midori awoke to the smell of something burning. She sniffed the air and looked around, alarmed. She jumped up and ran into the small kitchen section of the apartment with the fire extinguisher shrieking, "WHERE'S THE FIRE?!"

Kyoko whirled around from the stove and motioned her hands forward and back in the familiar "calm down" gesture. "No fire! Just a little…crispy…"

"Huh?" Midori blinked. She stared down at the pan Kyoko was holding. Sitting in the middle of the pan was what seemed to be sunny-side up eggs, more or less charred. She then looked back up at Kyoko, a look of utter bewilderment on her face.

"Well um, you always like your eggs kinda burnt around the edges, right? So…here you go," she said awkwardly.

"…Thanks."

"I try, okay?!" Kyoko blurted. "I had to do _something_, you know?! You and Nami made me feel pretty useless, just standing there and watching you guys fight! I didn't even get to have a say in anything!"

Midori blinked several times again then said, "Um…okay then. All right now?"

"Yeah…Yeah, I think I am." Kyoko exhaled.

"Good." Midori stood up and brushed herself off, heading towards her room to change into clean clothes. "Is Nami still asleep?" she called from her room.

Kyoko flinched.

"I think its best if we all go together to tell our friends we're leaving," Midori continued. "And I have to apologize to her too." She came to Nami's door and cracked it open, peering in.

"Um…Midori…"

"WHERE'S NAMI?!"

Kyoko steadied herself as Midori ran past her frantically, babbling about being too harsh and stubborn and the like. The taller girl waited for Midori to consult her.

"Did she come home?!" Midori questioned rapidly. "Maybe she ran away! This is not good…so not good…Where could she have gone?"

"Calm down, Midori," Kyoko said slowly. "I bet Nami just went out into the woods or something. You know, like a last training session or something."

"Do you think?" Midori said hopefully. "Let's go then!" She grabbed Kyoko by the arm and ran outside, the door slamming behind her.

Little did the girls know, Nami was closer than they thought. She had actually decided to stay with Naruto for the night, hoping that talking to the energetic blond would help clear her head. It actually seemed to work, because she was a lot calmer in the morning.

"You said you'd tell me in the morning why you wanted to stay over," Naruto said, sitting down next to her at the table and opening up a cup of steaming ramen. "So what's up?"

"I don't know how to tell you this, Otouto, but…I think I'm leaving tonight," Nami said evenly.

"Eh? Leaving? What do you mean? On a long mission or something?"

"No. I think it's for good."

"For good?" Naruto repeated.

"If I can't get Midori _and _Tsunade-baa to change their minds, yeah."

"This…doesn't have anything to do with that universe thing, does it?" Naruto questioned.

"Yeah."

"Anyway, thanks for letting me stay," Nami said, opening the front door and waving. "I'll…see you around. Maybe."

---

"No, no, no, no, no!" Midori panicked. "Where could she have gone? Kyoko, what if she left—"

"She didn't leave Konoha, okay?" Kyoko said sharply. "We just have to look harder! If I know her, she's probably just hanging around and goofing off. We'll split up, so just come back home at say…four o'clock. Why are you freaking out so much?"

"I don't know," Midori answered with difficulty. "I guess it's…just the fact we're leaving…" She looked toward Kyoko who already had her back turned, ready to search in a different direction. "Kyoko?"

"I'll look this way," Kyoko said monotonously. "We'll find her."

Midori stared at Kyoko strangely for a few seconds, but tore off in another direction, determined to find her friend before the day ended.

The first place Kyoko passed was the Yamanaka Flower Shop. She entered, seeing that Ino was hanging up her apron to end her shift. Ino looked a bit annoyed for a second, but then put on a bright smile and said, "May I help you with anything?"

Obviously the girl wanted to go out and have some time to herself, so Kyoko decided to make it quick. "Have you seen Nami, Ino?"

"Not today," Ino said.

"Okay," Kyoko sighed, her eyes glancing over at a colorful display of flowers. She suddenly remembered the limited time the Sand Siblings had spent staying in Konoha. Smiling absent-mindedly, she picked up a bundle. Gaara had been so different, especially after Naruto had knocked sense into the boy. And to think he liked flowers…She'd have to remember to send him some—

_That's right…I won't be able to…_ Kyoko thought. The light fragrance of the bouquet seemed to clutter her senses for a second. Her smile faded.

Gaara lived so far away, and she wouldn't even be able to say goodbye. She couldn't believe the thought had just occurred to her. How on Earth could she leave before even saying goodbye? And how could she possibly leave in general? Had she been asleep during all the drama in the Hokage's office and in the apartment? Even after she voiced that she hadn't had a say in the decision to Midori earlier, Midori seemed to brush it off as nothing. Why hadn't she pressed on the matter more? Maybe if Nami and she had overpowered Midori, they would've been able to convince everyone else...

"_Mom_! Why do I have to _stay_?" Ino whined quietly, glancing at Kyoko. "I don't even think she'll buy anything! Can't I go now?"

"No! Our deal was that your shift ended when all customers are finished and satisfied, young lady!" Ino's mother said.

"But _mom—_!"

"Ino…"

Then Kyoko remembered what she had come into the shop for. Nami was still missing and here she was sniffing daisies. She placed the flowers back into its rightful spot and walked out through the door, leaving the Yamanaka women to stare at her back in perplexity.

---

Midori felt like her legs were on fire. She hadn't had to walk this much since what seemed like forever. Not only that, but she felt like she had only had three hours of sleep the night before.

Everywhere she checked, nobody had seen Nami, and she was starting to get infuriated with the whole business. When she found Nami, there would be some serious reprimanding going on. But first she needed to collapse in the most dignified way she could.

Lee was completing his eighth lap around Konoha when he noticed a familiar body sprawled on a bench in the park. He mulled over stopping, though Gai-sensei would be pretty disapproving if he had ever taken a break before the tenth lap. He chose to see what Midori was doing anyway, for Gai-sensei always said that friends, family, and the people who stand beside you were the most important. OH GAI-SENSEI!

"Midori-chan?"

Midori was lying on the bench with one arm over the side and one leg trailing onto the ground. She looked incredibly sleepy, and Lee found the rings under her eyes mighty _not _youthful. When she opened her eyes to see a pair of large, round eyes topped with bushy eyebrows, she yelped and fell off the bench with a 'thud!'

"Ow…" Midori moaned. "…Lee-kun?"

"What are you doing sleeping on this fine day?" Lee questioned. "And on a bench too!"

"Oh…well…I was actually looking for—Lee-kun! Have you seen Nami?"

"Nami…? No, why? Is she missing?"

"Yeah…"

"Then we must send out a search party!" Lee declared. "Quick, Gai-sensei will want to know about—"

"I'm sure she's still in the village!" Midori said hastily. "She couldn't have gotten past the night guards. It's nothing, really. I'll just…look some more…"

Lee couldn't help but notice that Midori looked extremely troubled. "Is there…something else bothering you?"

"Mm…" Midori figured that Lee would know from Nami or Kyoko anyway if she didn't tell him now, so she sat herself down on the bench once more and nodded. "Yeah, actually…Lee, there's something I want to tell you."

Lee (who had taken a seat as well) suddenly got a frantic look on his reddening face. "Y-You do?"

"Yeah," Midori said. Her eyes had traveled to her fidgeting hands on her lap, and she hadn't noticed Lee's expression. "It's kind of hard to say…"

"M-Midori," Lee said seriously, forgetting the '-chan' he had always added before. "I think I know what you're talking about."

"Huh?"

"I am flattered, really! You are a very nice girl, but I have devoted my love to Sakura-san and I would not want to act unfaithful, so—"

"What…are you talking about?" Midori gave him a questioning look.

"Uh…What were you talking about?"

"I'm from a different universe, Lee!"

"…Come again?"

"My friends—Nami and Kyoko—and I came from a different world," Midori explained. "And now we have to leave."

"What? How? Why?" Lee had never looked so confused.

Midori shook her head. "There's too much to explain. I just wanted to tell you this before we have to leave."

"You…And Nami and Kyoko will leave? When…?"

"Tonight."

"Who else knows about this?" Lee asked. He still looked hesitant, and Midori couldn't tell whether he believed her or not. Then again, the thought of a friend lying to him never really crossed Lee's mind.

"I'm not sure," Midori admitted. "But…I did tell Neji once. Do you know where he is, by the way?" She had had an urge to talk to him all the time she was trying to focus on finding Nami, though she wouldn't admit it.

"We were all training together," Lee nodded. "Gai-sensei is having us run several laps around Konoha, and I think he and Tenten were a bit behind me…" He got up from the bench and said, "I would guess they have passed by already. Do you want to come with me?"

"…It's all right," Midori said. "Can you do me a favor? Can you tell Tenten and Gai-sensei about my teammates and me? And also…Tell Neji I said goodbye."

"I will," Lee replied, "You do not want to tell them these things yourself?"

"With Nami running around doing who-knows-what I think I won't really have the time…" Midori said with a sad smile. "Kyoko and I really need to find her. Thanks." She stood up as well, gave him a quick hug, and continued on her way. It felt as if she would never see the exuberant, green-clad ninja again…

Lee started running to catch up on the laps, single-minded to inform Gai-sensei and his teammates of the news. He didn't even notice Neji standing silently a few ways away behind a well-placed tree, a look of discontent on his face. Shaking his head, he waited for the bowl-haired boy to turn a corner then started jogging back to his team's training site as well.

---

"Marieke! You're lagging in timing again!" Tsunade barked.

"Sorry, sorry," Marieke grunted.

"Tsunade-sama, is it really wise to let them go so soon?" Shizune asked, wiping sweat from her face. "It'd be close to impossible for all of us to master our parts in less than a day, and it might be useful to keep them around."

"Don't question my decision, Shizune," Tsunade ordered. "And I'm certain everyone here is capable of completing this jutsu." Her eyes scanned the few faces around her, two of them being Shizune and Marieke. Mitarashi Anko, Jiraiya, and two jounin who were known to have a massive amount of chakra compared to the people in their rank were standing at the corners of a intricate design that was outlined in black on the ground. All of them looked weary, for they had been there since morning. Tsunade had made it clear that the girl would leave tonight.

"But what's the rush?" Shizune urged.

"If you must know, I'm not sure what to expect from enemies now," Tsunade said seriously. "Within the village, there are many shinobi anyone would want to get their hands on. Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, and much more. Now there are three others. If they have homes in a different world and had a chance to get back to the safety of their own place, it would be to everyone's benefit, even if they don't think so."

The beings surrounding her nodded with solemn faces.

"All right, once more!"

---

An hour had passed, and Kyoko and Midori met outside their apartment door, coincidentally at the same time. It took less than a second for them to realize that neither of them had found their missing teammate. Discouraged, they opened their door to talk things over inside only to find Nami lying on the couch, staring up at the ceiling.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Kyoko and Midori screamed, startling Nami.

"Here…" Nami said. "I've been waiting for a pretty long time."

"I can't believe you…" Midori fumed, "We've been looking all over the place for you! Don't you have _any _consideration?" Before she could go on, she felt a nudge, courtesy of Kyoko. "Wha—oh, right. Nami…"

"I'm sorry."

The two gazed at each other, surprised that the other person would even apologize first, let alone both at the same time. Kyoko and Midori joined Nami on the couch, inwardly feeling pleased to be all together again.

"You were right," Nami said, "If we stayed, we'd only cause trouble."

"No she wasn't!" Kyoko argued. "I want to stay here, not go back!"

"What are you talking about?" Midori said, her brow furrowed, "Just when Nami agrees, you disagree?"

"Guys, I can't leave Gaara!"

Nami couldn't help but roll her eyes, earning her a dangerous glare from Kyoko.

"Kyoko…There's no discussing the matter…" Midori said tiredly.

"But…I thought I was finally getting to know him…you know…connecting," Kyoko said quietly. "And even if we aren't staying, I'd at least want to say goodbye…"

Midori and Nami looked at each other. They each put an arm around Kyoko's shoulders comfortingly.

"Look, we'll figure out how we're gonna do this, okay?" Midori said kindly. "We all don't want to leave, but that's what has to be done."

"And I'm getting pretty annoyed with having it mentioned over and over again," Nami added. "So let's just deal with it."

Kyoko lowered her head, but nodded. "Yeah. Okay."

Midori smiled. "Great. Why don't we meet up with Marieke-sensei and Tsunade-sama now, then?"

"I wanna stop by a few places before we go," Kyoko said.

"Sure, we have time before…we leave."

"I'm gonna miss this place…" Kyoko mumbled after setting down her clean bowl.

"Are you going somewhere?" Ayame asked, confused.

"Yeah, sort of," Kyoko answered.

Ayame didn't press on the matter because another customer had arrived, so none of the girls informed her or her father.

Nami and Midori still had quite a long way to go with the ramen, and Nami seemed to want to drag the time out for as long as she could. Kyoko ordered another bowl. However, no matter how much time anyone wanted to take, they eventually finished, and left the cozy shop for the Hokage Tower.

Tsunade stood in front of the doorway when they arrived, arms crossed, others at her sides. "Are you all ready?"

The girls nodded and Nami asked, "So what do we have to do for this jutsu?"

"Nothing much," Tsunade said.

After exchanging a confused glance with her friends, Midori said, "But…It's a teleportation jutsu, right? Certainly we'd have to do _something_; it can't be easy."

"That's exactly right," Tsunade agreed, "Which is why you girls would be incapable of doing it. You didn't think you had enough chakra for something like teleporting to a different universe, now did you?"

"Yesterday Tsunade-sama and I didn't explain clearly," Marieke said. "Come inside and we'll clarify."

The group trailed inside the Hokage's office, each taking a place they felt was comfortable; against the wall, in a chair, etc. Then, Tsunade began to speak.

"This jutsu requires a complicated method to performing," she started, "and it takes several beings of high chakra levels. There are three steps. Number one—" she held up a single finger, "—a design must be carved into a clearing of some sort. Number two—" her middle finger joined her index, "—the users execute the jutsu, using a series of hand signs simultaneously. All users must be in sync otherwise problems will occur, and they must have their minds cleared of all thoughts. And number three—" a third finger went up, "—the targets, you three, step into the design, thinking of the location and only location you wish to appear.

"Universal Step hasn't ever been used to skip into other universes, believe it or not. This is because no one has ever been to a different universe and therefore has no description of a place. It was used by the few who knew it, to infiltrate and steal from other locations without the bother of getting through guards and enemies. It was also used to teleport foes to interrogation rooms and such if shinobi were in a faraway area. That's why we, as the users, must keep our minds blank, so we won't disrupt your travel."

"Wait, then why's it called 'Universal Step'?" Kyoko questioned.

"The targets described the journey through as 'falling through the universe'," Marieke answered.

"So this is all waging on theory," Midori said with a hint of uneasiness. "Are you certain this will…work?"

"I'm ninety-two percent sure you'll be able to get to your universe safely," Tsunade replied.

"What's the other eight percent?'

"There's a chance you'll end up somewhere else or…you'll be torn to pieces by the intensity of the chakra."

The three figures standing in front of her had mixed expressions: disbelief, shock, and anxiety.

"Don't worry, it will be successful. I'll make sure of it," Tsunade assured them. But for some reason, they didn't look as reassured as she would've liked.

* * *

And there you have it! I know I keep saying this, but I'm PRETTY sure it'll end in two chapters. Or three...maybe...It depends on how much I feel like writing. SO ANYWAY I'm going to bring my laptop and flashdrive to the hotel we're staying at and I'll probably get some of the story typed there, so FEAR NOT! School will NEVER consume my will to write!

Thanks for the reviews! I'm very happy with the steady number I'm getting. (grin) If I've said it once, I'll say it again: YOU GUYS ROCK. R&R please!

Until next time...!

-HM


	48. Goodbye, or

Sorry for the late update, guys! FF was giving me trouble for some reason (or maybe it was this hunk of junk I call a computer) so I decided to try again and it was actually able to get my documents into here!

In other news, the convention was a BLAST! It was more than we expected, that's for sure! I'll never forget that day; it definitely cracks my Top Five Greatest Days of My LIFE! We had so much fun, we're planning on going to Sac-Anime with an even BIGGER group (AOD was Kyoko, Nami, our friend Nanashi, and me)! I mean, come on. We got pics of pretty much everyone there (though the pics on Nana's camera got...DELETED! NOOOOO!!!!), we got OUR pics taken, Kyoko and Nana got to skip around with Gaara, we saw Deidara strip, we danced with Naruto and a harem of Sakuras, I fought with Sasori; IT WAS SIMPLY AWESOME! Info about our days will be on the site tomorrow or the next day, because we're all still recovering from coming back from SF only to get homework and projects from our lovely school. (sweatdrop)

Anyway, thanks for the reviews! I'm happy to know that whatever I do, you guys will stick with me till the end! Which is, pretty much, this chapter since the next is a sort of epilogue-ish thing. And as a heads-up to those of you who love romance, I put in a tiny bit of fluff. The rest of you...bear with my corniness. XD Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

The jutsu was to be carried out in the woods; Tsunade wanted a secluded area as to not arouse too much suspicion. (She claimed that any shinobi at genin level, if their perceptive enough, or higher would be able to sense the jutsu being performed, though.) The girls sat waiting near one of the many trees around while the adults drew out the symbolic design into the ground; it seemed to be a cross between a diamond and hexagon with lines crisscrossing inside the shape like spider web. It was taking a fine amount of time, considering the design had to be etched clearly and done several times to make that so.

"You still want to leave, Midori?" Nami asked, matter-of-factly. "We can always decline. It seems pretty dangerous to me."

"And since when are you one to be so cautious?" Midori countered. "They've already started, and I have a feeling Tsunade-sama wouldn't be happy if we declined. And it's not like we belong here. We belong back home in our own world."

Nami sighed. "There's no way to change your mind, huh?"

Before Midori could answer, Kyoko said, "Hey, do you guys hear that?"

Midori and Nami glanced at the adults, who were concentration on the etching of the lines in the ground, then strained their ears to listen. The faint sound of flesh against hard wood sounded continuously, as if someone was hitting a post.

"Sounds like someone's training nearby," Midori deduced. "Maybe we should move…"

"We can't move; they've already started step one!" Kyoko said. "We should see who it is!"

"What for?"

"To know who it is, obviously."

Midori raised an eyebrow.

"Come on! They won't be done for at least three minutes, you know," Nami said. "It'll be something to do."

"We should ask first…"

Nami and Kyoko rolled their eyes.

"Tsunade-baa!" Nami called, gaining the Godaime Hokage's attention, "Can we go check out who's training nearby?"

Tsunade paused, then listened, noticing the barely audibly sounds of pounding in the distance. "What's your reason?"

"So we can…persuade them to leave. You said you wanted to finish before anybody has a chance to show up and make a scene, right?"

"That's true…" Tsunade said, "But I'm only sending one of you."

"What?!"

"It isn't a problem, is it? Something like that would only need one person," Tsunade said intelligently. "So, Midori, you can go. Don't be long; you have a few minutes."

Midori blinked, then stood up and said, "Okay…"

Nami crossed her arms and Kyoko pouted while they watched Midori disappear through the trees.

Midori quietly crept through a group of bushes, following the sound of the increasing thumping noise. She wondered who would be training at this hour; the sky was already beginning to darken. It was definitely one of the boys, she figured. Perhaps it was Naruto…or maybe Lee…

She seemed to have been spotted somehow, for the clamor had stopped. Midori came to a stop as well for a split second. Suddenly, something swiftly descended down from the trees in front of her, scaring the bajeezers out of her. After silencing a choked squeak, Midori said, "Neji? You scared me!"

Neji raised an eyebrow, then questioned, "What are you doing out here?"

His voice sounded indifferent to Midori today. Well, more indifferent than usual.

"Just taking a walk," Midori said.

"Shouldn't you be getting home now?"

Midori was sure he had seen her wince at his statement. Of course, he had meant getting home to the apartment with Nami and Kyoko. What _else _could he have meant, right? She still felt unsettled.

"What about you? It's getting pretty late, and I think we both should be getting home," Midori said as she racked her brain for a proper excuse to get him out of the woods. He was the last person she'd want to see watching her and her friends leave.

"You're acting strange," Neji said bluntly. "Trying to hide something?"

"No, of course not!" Midori laughed nervously, wondering why in the world Tsunade would send the most unconvincing liar on her team to get rid of someone. She knew by Neji's look that nothing would be able to fool him, especially her. Sighing, she surrendered. "Neji, I have to tell you something."

"I know you're leaving," Neji said with that ever so apathetic look on his face. "I overheard you telling Lee."

"Oh," was all she could muster.

"If that's the reason why you want me to go, just say so," Neji said, turning slightly. "But answer me this: Why hide the fact from me?"

Midori hesitated. "I…I didn't want you to be watching when it happened."

"Why? Did you think I was going to stop you?"

She opened her mouth for a moment, but closed it. What was she supposed to say to that?

"It's your decision," Neji said, "and there's nothing I can do or say to stop you. But you're leaving a lot behind. I didn't think you'd be one to do something like that."

"It's not about what I want," Midori argued forcefully. "It's about what will work for everyone!"

"And this works for you? What about Nami and Kyoko?"

"Look," Midori said, feeling her temper rise a few notches, "There's one thing I've learned after all these years spent with Nami and Kyoko, and that's when we decide something, _I'm_ the one who okays it. _I _decide what the best thing to do in situations, and it always works out in the end!"

Neji narrowed his eyes. "No one's right all the time. Maybe _you _should bear that in mind."

Before Midori could protest further, he turned completely and stalked off. Watching him leave, she found her hand subconsciously in the form of a shaking fist which she slammed against the trunk of a tree short-temperedly once Neji was out of sight. She took a deep breath, then mumbled, "Sorry, tree." There was nothing left for her to do but go back to the others and get sent home.

On the short journey back to the designated place, Midori's head whirled with jumbled thoughts. She had succeeded in getting the Hyuuga to leave the woods, but it didn't feel like a victory at all. The snappy way she had said those words wasn't exactly the way she had pictured her last conversation with her long-time crush. And when had she gotten to be so mean?

"It wasn't my fault," Midori said aloud, "It was his for acting so emotionless!" Yeah…right…

"So who was it?" Nami questioned when Midori got back.

Midori shrugged. "Does it matter?" she mumbled.

"No, but we wanna know anyway," Kyoko said bluntly.

Midori didn't have time to retort because Tsunade suddenly appeared between them and said, "Well whoever it was, you sent them back into the village, right?"

"Yeah."

"Good," Tsunade said, standing up straighter. "All right, everyone! Time to get into position!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Just as Jiraiya was about to take his spot at the far left, a figure came charging at him at a rising speed. He felt like he was having de-ja-vu, and it was confirmed when he felt the wind get knocked out of him.

"Dynamic Entry!"

"Oof—!"

"Gai-sensei!" shrieked a high female voice, which could only belong to Tenten.

"See, Tenten! I _told _you I was not lying!" Lee and his teammate ran over to their sensei that was standing with one foot on Jiraiya's chest, his face dramatic.

"I didn't doubt you for a second, Lee!" Gai declared.

"Get off me you—"

"Jiraiya-sama!" Gai said, looking down at the sannin, surprised. "I didn't expect you to be here!"

"You do this AGAIN?" Jiraiya raged. "Why don't you watch where you're flying?! Get some glasses or—"

"What are you doing here, Gai?" Tsunade interrupted sharply.

"I heard from Lee that something was going on around here concerning Team Twelve!" Gai explained, stepping off of Jiraiya and turning towards the Godaime. "He said they were from another universe and they were going back today! The moment I heard, I sprang into action to get to the bottom of this!"

"How…did you know?" Tsunade said difficultly.

Midori twiddled her thumbs and averted her eyes nervously. She caught sight of Nami mouthing, _"What did you do?" _She in turn mouthed, _"I told Lee" _and Kyoko's eyes bugged out. The taller girl whispered, "_What?!_"

Tsunade glanced at the girls' antics from the corner of her eye and sighed. "Gai, this is my decision as the Godaime Hokage, and it has nothing to do with you. So take your students and—"

"Oh, but there are _more _than my students here!" Gai said in a grand way.

A vein pulsed in Tsunade's head. "What?"

"On my search, I told some people, and they in turn told more people!" Gai explained.

"I also informed several genin about it!" Lee added.

"Erm…I might've told one or two people…" Tenten said tentatively.

"Well, it doesn't matter," Tsunade said, "As long as they don't know where we are—"

"TSU-NA-DE-BAA-CHAAAAAAN!"

Suddenly, Naruto rocketed out from the trees yelling, "YOU CAN'T DO THIS!"

"Wha—!"

"Naruto!" Jiraiya exclaimed.

"I—finally—found—you," Naruto panted, looking up at Tsunade. "You can't do this jutsu and send them back!"

"Naruto! How do _you _know about this?" Tsunade demanded.

"Nami-neechan told me!"

Nami slapped her forehead and Midori raised an eyebrow.

"You guys are _really _bad a keeping secrets," Kyoko whispered.

"Shut up," Nami and Midori countered snappily.

"But I didn't tell you about the jutsu," Nami said, "How'd you know about it?"

Tsunade looked down expectantly at the whiskered blond who started rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"I kinda snuck into Tsunade-baa's office and took a peek at the scroll...and then put two and two together."

"YOU WHAT?!"

"But you can't do it! That's…That's like telling fellow shinobi of the village to quit their commitment!"

"They agreed to it, Naruto," Tsunade said, "And this way they'll be safe from any harm. Besides, this isn't about you."

"But—"

"It's true, Naruto-kun," Midori said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We're choosing to leave."

"But…But then you're deserting the village!" Naruto tried.

Midori bit her lip, not knowing what to say.

"It's their choice, Naruto."

Nami turned her head towards the voice and Tenten said in disbelief, "Neji?"

The Hyuuga prodigy was walking towards where Naruto and Team Twelve stood. "They were never a part of this village originally."

Nami, Kyoko, and Midori stared at him, surprised at his cold words. Kyoko seemed to want to blurt something out, but Neji only continued.

"Even so, they've become three trusted resident shinobi of Konoha. The only reason why they're leaving…Is to protect the village." He glanced at Midori.

She smiled.

"What?" Naruto said, still not understanding completely.

"To protect a village," Kyoko, surprisingly, said, "Means that you have to make sacrifices for the people in it. Cheesy, I know, but it's true. You of all people should know, right, Naruto?"

Naruto nodded, realization hitting him. "If you leave…will you forget about Konoha like you forgot about your world?"

Nami shook her head. "Of course not. How could I forget this place?"

"So then…you guys are leaving forever?"

"Maybe," Nami said. "Maybe not. But didn't I tell you I'd see you around?"

"No one knows what the future holds," Midori added, with a glance at Neji.

Naruto grinned, and Nami said, "Well then…For the good of the village!"

Nami stuck out her fist, and all at once, Kyoko, Midori, and Naruto joined her, connecting their own fists with hers.

"That's a real tear-jerker," said a tired voice.

"Shikamaru?" Naruto said, whirling around. His eyes widened as he noticed the people gathered around. How could he not have noticed before?

Standing to the sides were Teams Eight, Ten, and his own Team Seven (minus Sasuke, of course) and the four sensei. Tsunade had a small smile on her face at the little revelation that had occurred while Gai and Lee were sprinkling the grass with salty tears.

"When did YOU guys get here?!" Naruto exclaimed.

"A little while ago," Kakashi said, his only exposed eye gleeful. "It wasn't hard to track you all, really. It's all thanks to Pakkun."

The mentioned dog peeked out from behind Kakashi's right leg and waved a bit to Naruto. "Yo."

Naruto face-faulted.

Sakura stepped forward and said, "So…It's true then? You three are really from…a different…world?" She acted as if she were speaking a foreign tongue; the words seemed difficult to say.

"Why else would we have all this set up?" Nami said, gesturing towards the large design around the clearing.

If Sakura was still shocked, she didn't say anything about it.

"Enough of this drama," Anko said, "Are we going to do this or what?"

"Yeah," Midori said with a quick look at the second exam examiner. "Tsunade-sama?"

Tsunade nodded and she as well as the others stood in the right places in the design. Their hands formed expertly into hand seal after hand seal, moving at a rate only the Sharingan could detect. As they concentrated, the people gathered around were silent, eyes glued to the blue light that was starting to emit from each corner.

Nami, Midori, and Kyoko stood several feet away, waiting for the word from Tsunade. Soon…

"I'm sorry, Neji," Midori whispered to the Hyuuga so only he would be able to hear. "I was acting like a…" She searched for the right word, but couldn't say anything.

Neji shook his head. "I thought we both understood that when I came here, you were forgiven." His mouth rose at the corners, slowly becoming a diminutive smile.

Midori couldn't help but smile back, and before she knew it, she had her arms wrapped around his neck in a warm embrace. She suddenly felt audacious, pulling herself away, hands on his shoulders, lips against his cheek. First kiss.

Kyoko and Nami exchanged glances, both thinking the same thing: _Finally_.

"Now!" Tsunade's voice rang. Sweat was dripping down her face and she dared a glimpse at the girls.

Kyoko and Nami each gave Naruto a quick one-arm hug and lined up inches away from the blinding blue light that followed the patterns carved into the ground.

Neji silently grasped Midori's chin in his bandaged hand and kissed her forehead in one second, and she had no time to blush. Midori quickly followed her friends' lead, stepping to the far left, Kyoko and Nami to her right. Together, they grasped hands and without another furtive glance back, they took a step forward past the outer line with only thoughts about their universe; their home.

A few days later…

"Gaara, you got something in the mail," Temari called, taking the package from a courier at the door. "Looks like it's from Konoha."

Gaara walked into the room silently then took the fair-sized parcel, mumbling a small, "Thanks." He was still working on being courteous to people…

Temari smiled lopsidedly.

"Temari! Where's Karasu?!"

A vein pulsed off the side of Temari's forehead. "How should I know?!"

"Help me find him!"

"Why don't you learn how to keep track of your dolls?!"

"They're not DOLLS!"

Temari groaned and left the room muttering incoherently.

Gaara waited until he could barely hear her faint footfalls before he ripped open the paper. Once he did, he discovered a beautiful bouquet of flowers wrapped up and tied with a red bow. Sitting a little off to the side was a folded paper which he unfurled. On the paper was a quickly-written scrawl of writing. A note.

_Gaara_

_To be honest, I don't really know how to start this. I have to leave for reasons I'd rather not say, and by the time you get my present I'll probably be gone already. Stay nice for me, please. I feel so happy when I talk to you and when you choose to talk to other people. I just wish I could be around to watch you continue. Thanks for everything, Gaara._

_Love, _

_Kyoko_

"Love," Gaara muttered. Next to the kanji 'love' was a small heart Kyoko had doodled onto the bottom of the page. He set the box down on a table, took the bouquet in his hands, and pocketed the note. Then he stepped out into the blazing heat of outdoor Suna, closing the front door behind him.

* * *

Kinda short and you STILL kind of don't know if the jutsu worked or not. (winkwinknudgenudge) The epilogue is even shorter, but I'm also adding a sneak peek to the sequel which doesn't have a name yet! Here's the low-down with the updates. I'll post the epilogue/sneak peek this weekend considering how many reviews I get right away. Since I posted this one kind of late, I'm guessing I'll either post the next chapter tomorrow night or the next morning after that. Then, the sequel on Labor Day. YES PEOPLE. THE SEQUEL WILL COME OUT ON LABOR DAY! YAY! So review, review, review!

P.S. No Sneak Peeks on AizoAnime this week. Don't wanna ruin any surprises, now do we? XP

Until next time...

-HM


	49. Epilogue

I've been out all day and finally get some time on the computer! Which also means I was able to upload quite a few pics from Kyoko's camera onto my computer which are now in the Photo Gallery of AizoAnime. Please check it out after the chapter!

So here's the end to Narutoverse no Jutsu! I can't believe its over now! Be sure to check back tomorrow for the sequel! I'd like to thank everyone who stuck with me till today, and thanks for the reviews for the last chapter! It means so much, knowing that people R&R this story! I feel like I've accomplished a decent Dropped-In-The-Narutoverse-type story that's usually slandered around FF. (Wipes away tears of joy) The "epilogue" is short and in bold, so I've also included an exerpt from the sequel (which I'll probably give a title at the last minute). So, if you'd rather skip the exerpt and wait for tomorrow, just keep scrolling after the bold ends! The whole thing is short overall, but enjoy anyway!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Tsunade's theory was correct. The girls not only made it back to their own world, but back to the exact time and place where they had been before their adventure had happened: Kyoko's house.**

**The sky still had a bit of light, and the multiple pencils and pens they had used were still scattered around the table. The computer had the information page where they had looked up the hand signs for the "Narutoverse no Jutsu" and their half-eaten cups of ramen were still warm. Nothing had changed at all, and it had felt like fairytale close, like the ending from the "The Chronicles of Narnia". But it wasn't.**

**The girls hadn't saved Konohagakure from a terrible villain nor had they become leaders of the village. The only thing they had accomplished was being able to decrease the trouble that the village would've had if they stayed. **

**It still felt like some sort of strange fantasy that they had only dreamed up. It wouldn't have been surprising, considering Nami's usually abnormal-filled reveries and Kyoko's distant envisions. But what they found odd was that Midori, who could hardly remember dreams and barely had any "visions" remembered everything that happened.**

**The suspicions of their adventures being simple hallucinations were quickly discarded, especially after Kyoko discovered her info card in her pocket. Nami and Midori checked their own pockets, finding their makeshift cards as well. It was then they knew for sure; it was real.**

**Later on, there were many times when each of them had their moments of yearning to go back to the Narutoverse, especially Kyoko and Nami. Midori had the job of making sure none of them ever attempted to go back. She kept an eye on them, reminding them of the consequences, of how they wouldn't be able to get back easily, and, if necessary, confiscating their info card. If it came to that, they always got their card back in the end, for it was that simple index card that seemed to retain the memories of their lives in Konoha.**

* * *

_ The weather outside was blistering cold with speeding winds, bulleting raindrops, and large waves splashing with every turn of a car. High school students were bustling into their classrooms to avoid getting too soaked. Among them was a trio formed since elementary school. _

_ "Why, God? WHY?" Nami wailed, dropping to her knees and questioning the heavens. "Why did you make it rain on the day I have to ride ALL THE WAY HOME?!"_

_ "Nami! You're getting drenched!" Midori called from under the awnings. _

_ "What's the point?" Kyoko mumbled, adjusting her hood that hovered over her face, pale from the cold. "She's gonna get wet anyway. We'll be riding home today while you get to ride in your dad's nice, heated car. With butt-warmers."_

_ Midori rolled her eyes. "Stop angsting over life and let's get to class."_

_ The two girls dragged Nami out of the rain and into their first class, which wasn't any warmer than outside. In there, desks were cluttered and teenagers were doing their own things; gossiping, readying pranks, throwing paper airplanes, etc. The girls sat themselves in their lined places near the windows (Nami in the back, Midori in the front, and Kyoko in between). _

_ A few minutes later, the bell rang, the teacher stood up, and class started. As the only adult in the room drawled on about what was going to be on the test in two days. Midori's eyes trailed to the window. She knew the teacher had been telling them what to study for weeks, and it was apparent that she and her group of friends would spend a study session at her house the day before the test. That was when they'd be spending all their time watching anime and discussing manga in the childish way they've been doing for years. _

_ Midori blinked. She could've sworn she saw an odd-colored flash outside. Straining her sight, she leaned slightly towards the window, wondering if it had been a mere lightning bolt…or something else…_

* * *

Thank you to all who R&R and Story Alerted, you'll have a special place in my heart always! Thank you to all who gave me constructive criticism that helped me from an okay first chapter to an imroved 49th (or 48th since this one was...well, short)! I couldn't have gotten better without you! And also, thank you to those of you who don't like this type of story and keep your thoughts to yourself so my self-esteem doesn't get crushed! Love to you all, and I hope I can read your reviews come next time!

-HM


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